Mischief Managed
by Lexie-H
Summary: In their final year at Hogwarts, the Marauders have set loose on the castle, a fact which promises to make seventh year the most memorable of them all! LJ romance, laughs and generally a lot of fun... check it out! RR please!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This story is in no way affiliated with Ms Rowlings works. I borrow her ideas in order to create non profit stories for my own pleasure (and hopefully others') so don't sue, enjoy!**

**A/N: Dear readers: this is a chronicle of the adventures of four Marauders, with some Lily and Emmeline thrown in for the fun of it. I hope you enjoy it, and please make my day and review! xx - Lexie **

* * *

**Chapter One: In which a pact is formed**

"Evans!"

Lily Evans winced, recognizing all too well the voice that was currently crowing her name in a triumphant fashion. Seconds later, she found herself dangling in the air – well, not so much _dangling_ as being picked up and hugged by a rather tall someone.

"Put me down, Potter," she growled, and he obeyed, beaming at her.

"Miss me?"

"Not at all," she said stiffly, making him laugh.

"That's good. I mean… It's good to see you, because I missed you too, you see."

"Right. That's lovely Potter. How about you go and tell Black all about it?"

A boy with long, shaggy black hair turned, smiling. The effect was, as always, devastating, but Lily had worked up a sort of immunity to Sirius Black.

"Someone say my name? Ah, Lily my dear, how are we?"

"_We_ are going. I'll see you boys later."

A hand caught her arm. Potter again, his hazel eyes earnest.

"Lily, wait – I have a surprise for you."

She sighed and shook herself free. "It can wait, Potter."

She strolled off into the crowd that was gathering on the platform beside the great scarlet engine, casually flicking a long, dark red curl over her shoulder. James and Sirius watched her go.

"As much as I like Evans, I don't understand what you see in her," Sirius murmured.

James raised his eyebrows, whilst all the while appreciating that Sirius was probably the only person who could say this to him and get away with it.

"Padfoot," he replied flatly. "She's the most incredible, beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life."

Sirius rolled his eyes. He prodded James in the stomach.

"Pathetic, Prongs."

James shrugged. "Probably. Let's find the others."

* * *

"Ahh Moony, my heart bleeds." Sirius smirked by way of greeting, flinging open the compartment door. The small, mousy haired boy in the corner was so startled he fell off his seat.

Remus Lupin sighed, closing his book, _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_. "It's really quite interesting," he replied patiently. "I feel I can really relate to the author."

James laughed. "Of course, Moony. How is your furry little problem?"

Remus smiled as some first years walked past the open compartment door, oblivious. "It's hopping on nicely, thank you, Prongs."

James grinned. "Good to know," he said seriously, stowing his luggage above the seats. He sighed, ruffling his messy black hair, as he was habitually wont to do. "I'll be back in a while, children. Mind you behave, now."

Sirius smirked, stowing his trunk beside James'. With a flicker of a wink to the other two boys, he replied, "Yes Mum."

Laughing softly, James left the compartment, sliding the door closed.

"W-where's he going?"

The quiet voice emerged from the corner of the compartment. Sirius eyed the boy, his expression darkly amused. "He's gone to serenade Evans in the Heads compartment, Wormtail."

Peter Pettigrew frowned. "I don't think she'll like that very much."

Sirius rolled his eyes, muttering "Wormtail you twat." He swung his legs across the empty seat beside him, not bothering to elaborate. With a shrug, Remus returned to his book while Peter continued to watch Sirius, yearning in his eyes.

* * *

"Surprise, Evans."

Lily Evans startled in horror, snapping out of her reverie. Potter was closing the compartment door and taking the seat across from her.

"This is the Head's compartment, Potter," she told him, willing her voice to be patient. Unfortunately for Lily, she didn't have much patience left for James Potter. He seemed, overall, to be a continual disappointment.

James nodded earnestly. "Yeah, I know. Actually, I was going to suggest we might as well be nice to each other this year, but obviously you have other plans."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I hope that wasn't your surprise. I really don't have time for this conversation at the moment," she said, a little more gently. "I'm waiting for the Head Boy and then we have to go and speak to the prefects."

"Well you don't have to worry about waiting, do you? I'm ready, lead the way."

Lily raised her eyebrows. She eyed James cautiously, not exactly sure of a) what he was doing there (besides harassing her) and b) what he was talking about.

In fact, James was smiling. That was twice in one morning, she realized. This was not something that Lily had seen very often (she most firmly recalled that the majority of the occasions they had run across each other in the past, Potter had been smirking, or for some variation, laughing cruelly). And it was evident in the ensuing moments that the answers to her questions had occurred to her, as her lovely, curving lips fell open in shock.

"Who killed Dumbledore and made you Head Boy?" she demanded, both disbelieving and outraged.

James shrugged. "I suppose," he said thoughtfully, "that I must possess some sort of leadership qualities."

Lily groaned. She had inadvertently begun him on one of his ego trips.

He smiled at her again. "I mean, I'm sitting in here with you, and you definitely possess some fabulous leadership skills along with your beauty, talent and wit."

Lily put her head in her hands. "Right, Potter. _Of course._ Flattery will get you nowhere. Can we just go and see the prefects and get this over and done with?"

* * *

_Slap_

"Too bad, Prongs," Sirius murmured, shaking his shaggy head so his hair fell into his eyes. Impatiently he swept it away again.

James frowned, examining the Quaffle in his hands. "It doesn't matter what I do, Evans doesn't want to know me," he said glumly, throwing the Quaffle back across the compartment. Peter watched eagerly, his eyes following the flying leather ball.

_Slap_

Sirius shrugged. "She's prejudiced. Just like Snape hates Muggleborns, Lily hates you. But you could change her mind."

Sirius' eyes lit up and he leant forward, tossing the bright red Quaffle in his hands. Peter was looking dizzy. "It's like that book we read in Muggle Studies last year-"

James scoffed. "Like you ever read anything, Padfoot!"

Sirius conceded this fact with a smirk and a nod. "True," he admitted. "Anyway, that's beside the point. Lizzie hates Dizzy-"

"Darcy," corrected Remus, not looking up from his book.

"Darcy, whatever, Moony. Anyway, she hates him, right, but he keeps being nice and eventually she realises she was wrong and falls in love with him."

Peter gazed at James, impressed. "That sounds just like you and Lily," he said.

"That's the point," Sirius deadpanned.

_Slap_

James caught the Quaffle thoughtfully.

"So if I keep being nice she'll eventually have to like me?" he said hopefully.

Remus finally looked up, his smile wry. "She has to trust you first, Prongs. And believe me, after the number of times she's caught you playing pranks or bullying Snape, you're up for a rough time convincing her you've changed."

James frowned. "I don't bully. Snape deserves it."

"Another prejudice," Remus responded knowingly.

_Smack_

"_Ouch!"_ Sirius complained, rubbing his nose.

James grinned.

"Teach you not to pay attention, Padfoot."

* * *

Several carriages away, Lily was raging. Her audience, made up of the Gryffindor seventh year girls, rolled their eyes. They had always known Lily to be absurdly prejudiced against James Potter, but really, shouldn't she have grown out of it by now?

He had obviously matured over the past two years – ever since the lake incident, actually – but Lily was too stubborn to see this.

The girls knew well about Lily's stubbornness too. Only Emmeline Vance, her best friend, had any influence over her whatsoever. The others had learnt it was often best to stay silent- unless they absolutely couldn't resist.

"I mean, who in their right minds would make a Marauder - _a_ _Marauder, for Merlin's sake! - _Head Boy, let alone _Potter_?"

Emmeline shrugged. "They've always said Dumbledore is mad," she replied reasonably, earning a frown.

"Mad but brilliant," Marlene McKinnon and Isadora Wood recited in unison, smiling.

"Don't worry about it," Alice Prewett said soothingly. "You probably won't even need to see Potter very often."

"They get their own dorm, Alice," Isadora said, grinning. "I think they'll be seeing each other plenty."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily demanded, watching the four girls giggle. They were just as bad as Potter and his friends, Lily reflected dismally.

"Come on, Lily. He's very sweet and funny. I wonder if you'll have to share a bathroom?" Marlene asked dreamily.

Lily rolled her eyes. "All right, then. While you lot continue to salivate over the freak-of-a-Head Boy, I'm going to find Art."

* * *

"I'm bored," Sirius announced, staring at James' dozing form. The Head Boy was stretched out across the seat opposite him, snoring softly. "I can't believe this is our last year at Hogwarts."

"I'm not ready to grow up," Peter murmured seriously.

"Evidently," Remus muttered briskly, his head still buried in _Hairy Heart, Human Snout_, or whatever it was called.

Sirius frowned at the book cover thoughtfully. "Even worse," he told them, "this is our last opportunity to cause as much mayhem as possible without facing severe consequences. Think of what we could do!" He gazed off dreamily at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused on a strange configuration of mildew that strangely enough resembled a cat.

"Let's make a pact," he suggested, straightening suddenly.

"Like the pact we made when we became the Marauders?" Peter asked.

"Better," Sirius told them. He leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes glinting.

"We make a pact to cause as much trouble as we can think of."

"Excellent." Remus closed his book with a decisive snap that woke James up. Rubbing his eyes, James stared around at his strangely eager three friends.

"Mr Prongs, Mr Padfoot has a proposition to put forward," Remus announced formally, before bowing in his seat to Sirius. "Mr Padfoot, you may have the floor."

"Thank you, Mr Moony. Gentlemen, I propose we form a pact. '_I solemnly swear to produce as much mayhem as magically and imaginatively possible, to mark the final year of the Marauder's reign of tyranny over Hogwarts Castle.'"_

James grinned, saluting his best friend. "_Mischief managed!"_

Remus and Peter echoed him, equally jovial expressions on their faces. Only Sirius seemed deeply thoughtful, although this was not particularly rare.

"Can we make a list, then?" Peter asked, after the appropriate period of respectful silence had passed.

James looked questioningly to Sirius, who shrugged. "If you like, Wormy. What of?"

"Pranks!" Peter said happily, rummaging in his trunk for parchment. "We can kidnap Mrs. Norris," he murmured, eyes shining.

Remus and James exchanged a lazy look, that, in simple terms, said '_Wormtail has gone mad_.' Sirius, however, was nodding in approval.

James threw the Quaffle at his face. "Honestly, Padfoot! I thought you meant something more meaningful," he said, the picture of disdain.

Sirius looked deeply offended. "Prongs, Mrs. Norris is our arch-nemesis. Filch would be nothing without an evil companion, and I swear on Merlin's name that cat _is_ evil."

Remus hid his wry smile behind his hand, pretending to yawn. Put in his place, James retrieved the Quaffle, which had rolled back to his feet, and delicately examined its soft, leathery surface ponderously.

James sighed softly. Remus was going to be no help whatsoever, this was clear, and Peter – well Peter was a bit of a lost cause when it came to Sirius. Unless James disagreed with Sirius… and, being best friends, Sirius and James tended to share the same tendencies.

"Bother it," he grinned. "Why not? Lets have some fun, Moony."

"Don't look at me," Remus responded immediately, raising his hands in innocence. "_I_ wasn't the one who objected."

Peter coughed for attention. "So- " he sucked the tip of his quill, thoughtfully. "- we kidnap Mrs Norris. What else?"

James' eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Let's enchant the suits of armour."

Peter nodded, jotting it down in a scarily efficient manner.

"Naturally, as house captain I say we win the Quidditch Cup," Sirius put in. "I do realise that doesn't really qualify."

"Let's drug the Slytherins!" Peter grinned, the image of a cheeky young man. "Let's dose their breakfast!"

"Aye aye. How about-"

"How about we make Lily fall for Prongs?" Remus finally suggested, a practical voice of reason. "At least then we can kill two puffskeins with one stone."

"B-but what about Scamander?"

Sirius scowled. There was only one boy who Sirius disliked more than Severus Snape: and the school was not, and never had been, big enough for the two of them. To top it off, last year Art Scamander – fabulously wealthy, even more so than the Potters, and with an ego to match – had asked out Lily Evans, who had long been declared the object of James' affections. Sirius could only see this as an attack against the Marauders' sensibilities. Of course, Lily – innocent, ignorant, _lovely_ Lily - was completely unaware that she had a boyfriend only by means of a silent grudge war.

James' expression mirrored Sirius.

"We catch him out."

Remus rolled his eyes. Both being male specimens of the highest masculinity – although Remus was often forced to wonder about Sirius' obsession with his hair – Prongs and Padfoot made enemies almost as easily as friends. There was Severus Snape – who, undeniably, often_earnt_ their scorn; but there had also been that Scamander, or Scummy, as they thought of him, who liked to parade about the hallways and pluck unsuspecting students out of the crowd to join his exclusive group of friends. He disliked the Marauders intensely, as they (between three of them, at least) were all much smarter, a great deal more popular in general and _much_ more amusing.

The ink had dried on Peter's pen when the compartment door opened, and a fifth year prefect stuck his head in to tell them they would arrive at the station in a matter of minutes.

* * *

**A/N: Stay posted, I have 20 chapters planned, and before you accuse me of having high notions, I have already written 11, so it's not such an empty promise! Reviews would be most appreciated, as always xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: In no way do I attempt to take credit for the ideas and intellectual property of JKR. The plot, however, is mine!**

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**Chapter Two: In which the Marauders kidnap Mrs Norris**

"Look," murmured Isadora, nudging Lily, who sat beside her. She was smiling fondly. "There's my brother, Liam, isn't he the sweetest?"

Lily smiled indulgently at the line of first years straggling apprehensively down the length of the Great Hall. Some were staring at the mass of older students; others at the enchanted ceiling, sparkling with stars.

The Sorting was a relatively speedy affair that evening: indeed, Lily did not know whether it was the fact that she had witnessed so many, or that she was simply exhausted. She lost track of the numerous first years, from Abbot, Susannah ("Hufflepuff!") to Wood, Liam ('Gryffindor!'). This was partially due to the staring competition that she partook in with her dashing boyfriend Art, who was all the way along at Ravenclaw's table, surrounded by a heckle of admirers. He looked different –mysteriously transformed over the summer. His hair was longer (had it been curled?) and kept falling into his eyes, which would prompt Art to artfully flick it away with a quick turn of his head: a move, in fact, that, while she thought about it, reminded Lily tremendously of Sirius Black, although Lily had to acknowledge that while Sirius did it unconsciously, Art did not. She smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

"To the new students, welcome! And to the old hands, welcome back!" Professor Dumbledore announced, standing before the teacher's table and smiling indulgently. "I won't waste your time with words tonight: I see that you are all tired and eager to be fed! I must, however, request the Heads' presence in my office for a short while after dinner. That is all!"

In the usual grand fashion, the plates blossomed with food, much as a flower would unfurl, and Lily was immediately caught by the rich scents that rose from the table. Sighing happily, she exchanged a look with Emmeline and they both dove into the feast.

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"Ah, Lily, James. Come in, come in."

Dumbledore ushered them into his office with a smile.

Lily stared around his office, impressed. She had only been in here several times, and it never failed to amaze her. In particular, Lily was enchanted by the series of portraits that lined Dumbledore's walls.

James, however, appeared indifferent. Indeed, the Head Boy had been present in this office so many times over the past six years that the general effect seemed to be lost to him.

Dumbledore gestured for them to sit. "First, I would like to congratulate each of you," he told them quietly. "I thought long and hard before deciding upon your appointment, and I want to reassure you both that you were my first and only choices on this matter. I'm sure that I have chosen rightly."

James watched Dumbledore, confused. How was it possible that he had been the Headmaster's first and only choice? Surely there had been dozens of other candidates more appropriate than he? What of Remus, for one? Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he surveyed his students, and James could have sworn he gave him an encouraging smile.

"I see you are both tired, so I won't keep you long. Your things are in the heads dorm on the fourth floor, eastern corridor, behind a door that is pretending to be a carving. Just tap her with your wand, and tell her your names. I will see you soon, I'm sure. Goodnight!"

James followed Lily down the corridor, half a step behind her, so that he could watch her. Her luscious red locks gleamed in the candlelight, illuminating golden highlights as their owner negotiated the corridors and moving stairways of the castle with ease. Finally, they arrived at the eastern corridor on the fourth floor.

Lily paused, puzzled. "I don't think I've been here before."

James stepped forward, smiling. "Never fear. It's there, just down from the statue."

And so it was.

Lily pulled out her wand and tapped the lovely oak carving. The delicate face of a beautiful witch blinked at them from out of the woodwork, suddenly animated.

"Names?" she asked them, smiling.

"Er – Lily Evans and James Potter."

"New password?" the Carved Witch prompted kindly.

Lily looked at James questioningly. It was the first time she had met his eyes all day, and their full, emerald force was not lost on the seventeen year old boy.

"Amortentia?" he murmured, shrugging casually.

Lily pursed her lips. _Can I be bothered to argue_? She asked herself. And the conclusion she arrived at was _no, she was much too tired and would infinitely prefer to be curled up in bed as soon as possible, as opposed to arguing in the drafty corridor._ Which was fair enough, really.

"Alright. We'd like Amortentia, please," she told the witch, who raised her carved brows and smiled. "Very well. I will see you soon, good night."

The door swung open and the carving waved to them as they entered.

"_Wow_."

The first thing that struck Lily was the scale of the Head's dorm. She smiled happily, taking in the lounges and low table set before a roaring fire. The Hogwarts crest hung above the mantle. And on either side of the mantle, stairs lead to an upstairs gallery, framed by a large arched window. And along the gallery… She smiled again, seeing the door labelled _Lily_ in curling, golden writing. On the other side of the gallery, which ran around three walls of the dorm, was a door labelled _James_ in the same writing. The ceiling, to her utmost disappointment, was normal.

James, on the other hand, had preferred to explore rather than to simply take it all in. On the left -hand side of the lounge, he found a door leading to the study, a room lined with book cases and featuring two desks. Crossing the room, he found the bathroom on the right hand side, large and luxurious. The room was big enough to hold at least twenty people comfortably, he estimated, and boasted a lovely old-fashioned bath, as well as a shower, large vanity and toilet. Next, he climbed up the stairs, which he discovered joined behind the mantle. He arrived at the gallery and was immediately drawn to the giant arched window, which predominately boasted a lovely view of the grounds and forest, with glimpse of the lake. The outside border was panelled in stained glass, intricate images from the past. On the left hand side of the gallery, above the study, was Lily's room; on the right, above the bathroom, his own. He grinned, spotting the large window, and stared around happily at the moving Quidditch posters. His favourite players zoomed around the room, circling a wonderfully large double bed, draped with rich, red hangings. As with the rest of the dorm, the room featured the colours of each house, a comfortable disarray of rainbow. He heard a gasp travel from across the gallery and saw Lily too had discovered her room. He crept across to peer inside, and found it bedecked in emerald green.

"Hello," he said pleasantly from the doorway. Lily, who was testing the bed, looked up. He grinned. The green brought out her eyes, brilliant in her delicate face.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

She was too enthralled to be cool toward him.

James nodded happily. "Being Head obviously has its perks!"

Lily frowned. "Perhaps, but we'll have to do real work, too."

James returned to his room and rummaged in his trunk, pulling out a small hand mirror. "Sirius Black!"

Instead of his own image, Sirius' swum into view, smiling handsomely. "Prongs! Was wondering when you'd call. Where are you?"

"Fourth floor, eastern corridor. Behind the wood carving."

Sirius nodded. "I'll drop by once I round up the others. Should I tell the girls?" he asked, meaning the Marauders.

James shrugged. "If you like."

Sirius's eyes glinted. "I'll bring Emmy too."

Sirius had always held a fondness for the kind, pretty blonde who was Lily's best friend. James and the Marauders had often teased Sirius on her account, although he strongly denied any sort of romantic interest in her. _She makes me laugh_, was his best excuse so far. And although the boys did believe Sirius wasn't interested in her like that, they had never been able to resist teasing him, especially when he took the whole thing so seriously.

"See you soon, Padfoot."

Lily was lying on one of the plush red velvet lounges in front of the fire, reading a book from the study while she waited for the clock to tick around to dinnertime.

Someone cleared their throat.

Lily looked up in surprise, but it wasn't James. He was still in his room. She glanced around, looking for a portrait. Her eyes settled on the back of the entrance. What has formerly been plain wood was now moving: the carved witch had moved to the other side of the door.

"Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Emmeline Vance and Peter Pettigrew are on my other side," she announced clearly.

"Thank you," Lily told her, standing. "You may let them in."

The witch disappeared and moments later, the door swung open.

"Hello," she said, surprised. "How did you know where-"

"MERLIN'S WAND!"

Sirius' exclamation echoed off the stone walls. From his doorway along the upstairs gallery, the unruly black tuft that was James' hair appeared. He beamed. "You found it ok?" he asked eagerly, disappearing momentarily as he hurried down the stairs. Lily looked between the Head Boy and his friends, suspicious. A secret line of communication would certainly explain a few things, after all.

Their guests were still staring around, enthralled. Emmy gave Lily a small hug. "The boys told me to come," she explained, shrugging, when Lily questioned how _she'd_ known their location.

"Isn't it awesome?" James sighed happily, reclining onto the lounge. Remus had wandered into the study and back out, dazed.

"There's some seriously high grade magic stuff in there, guys. This is amazing."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Trust you, Moony."

Remus cleared his throat, looking warily toward Emmeline, and Sirius seemed to remember himself. James was sure that Lily, who was quite good friends with Remus, was well aware of their poor friend's "furry little problem" as James had christened it, but as far as James knew Emmy had remained under the impression that Remus owned a rabbit.

"Anyway!" James announced loudly, staring at Sirius hard. "We have things to do, places to be, and so on so forth. Good night, girls!"

And with that, before Lily could so much as mention the word _curfew_, the Marauders uniformly stood and trooped out of the room.

Emmy looked at Lily, surprised. "What was that about?" she asked curiously.

Lily shrugged. "I have no idea," she responded, although truthfully she harboured some suspicions. "He had better not give them the password either."

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"Padfoot, you really need to learn to keep our nick names private," Remus chastised his friend.

Sirius shrugged. "Evans knows, doesn't she, Moony? If Evans hasn't told anyone, what makes you think that Emmeline would?"

Glancing at Remus' pained expression, James decided to interrupt.

"It's like Moony has always said, Paddy," James explained calmly. "The more people who know, the greater the risk that someone will let something slip."

"But only the four of us know about it!" Sirius protested.

"Dumbledore and Lily," James added.  
"Oh, all right. Six. Six, Moony! Don't fuss!"

"Seven," Remus said darkly. "You forgot Snape."

This seemed to shut Sirius up, and they continued their walk in silence, until James pulled out the Marauders Map.

"What are we doing here, anyway?" Remus asked, looking around at what appeared to be a fifth floor corridor.

James shrugged, unable to achieve Sirius' casual elegance. "Just thought we may as well start on our list," he muttered, frowning.

Remus and Peter exchanged looks of surprise, but Sirius grinned. "Excellent, Prongs. What do you have in mind?"

James pursed his lips.

"_Well_," he deliberated. "If I've worked this out right, Mrs Norris will be in this corridor in about fifteen minutes."

"We are _not_ going to kidnap a cat," Remus muttered. "Of all the stupid, imbecile things that you lot can think of…"

"But its not just a cat, Moony," Peter protested, shocked. "It's Filch's cat."

"Exactly," Sirius said darkly. "Although she has an unnaturally long life, don't you think, boys? I heard someone say she was a witch trapped as a cat. The reason Filch never married, and all that."

James rolled his eyes. "Really, Padfoot, where do you pick up that kind of stuff?"

Sirius merely shrugged. "Never mind. Wormy, give me your shoe."

"Why do I have to give you my shoe?" Peter complained. "The last time I gave you one, I never got it back, you know, and that was a whole lot of good to me, Sirius."

Now it was Sirius' turn to roll his eyes. It was then that he spotted a doorway.

"Oh well, Wormtail, it looks like your luck's in tonight anyway. I bet there's something in here."

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**A/N: Hey everyone! If you've got this far hopefully you're enjoying it! Please don't forget to review, I'd really appreciate it! **

Lexie xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc belongs to JKR… I only borrow her ideas and muck around with them (heh, its fun!)**

**A/N: Hello everyone, this is your author speaking… (Hehe) would just like to remind you to please review! It will always be appreciated, no matter what you have to say – comments always make my day! (How cool I rhymed) So even if u feel like flaming me, at least make it constructive, because I'd like to know how I can improve etc etc… please remember I'm still learning!! Special thanks to PurpleArmadillo and love-horses, i'm glad i made u smile! Although i do feel bound to point out that this IS a lily/james fic and so they WILL have their moments... inevitably... Anyway review and enjoy! xx**

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**Chapter Three: In which Filch is frantic and Lily is not amused**

"What can you tell me," Lily said, upon entering the Head's tower to discover James reading a textbook, " about the missing toilet in the fifth floor girl's bathrooms?"

"Oh, that," James replied carelessly, not even bothering to look up from _The Standard Book of Spells Grade Seven_. "Do you miss it much?"

Lily scowled. "I knew you had something to do with it! There was a queue, thank you very much, which meant I was late to meet-"

James looked up at her swiftly, his gaze piercing, and Lily faltered momentarily.

"-to meet Art," she finished, a rather defiant tone in her voice.

"Sorry to inconvenience you," he replied coolly.

"Do we get it back?" she persevered. "I mean, there's just an empty cubicle. _What on earth did you do to it_, by the way?"

"Transfigured it into a box."

"A _box?!_"

Lily turned around and stomped up the stairs to her room, preferring to leave rather than yell at him. She slammed her door for good measure, and then leant against it.

_Typical_, she thought wryly. _The Marauders transfigure a toilet into a box. So very thoughtful and _useful_ of them!_

But what exactly had they needed the box for?

Oh dear. Lily had the horrible feeling she knew exactly what they had used the box for.

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James had watched the Head Girl storm up the stair with a mixture of amusement and dismay. He found it hilarious that she had discovered their prank and had known immediately whom to accredit it to. On the other hand, she had been on her way to see Scummy, which of course meant she must still like him, and this broke James' heart. In his opinion, there was no one worse for Lily than Scummy (although of course James was extremely biased).

"POTTER!"

Her yell made him jump, even though the sound had been somewhat muffled by her bedroom door. Said door now burst wide open and a blur of black and red hurtled along the gallery and down the stairs, stopping before him. Her emerald eyes blazed.

"_Where is Filch's cat_?"

James assumed what he hoped would be an innocent and confused expression, even though inwardly he was flattered she had given him credit so quickly.

"Excuse me, Evans darling, I don't quite understand you."

Lily's scowl intensified. "Three things, Potter," she said. "One, you need to work on your poker face. Two, don't you _ever_ call me Evans darling again. Three, I know that you know that I know you kidnapped Mrs. Norris, so you may as well spit it out. Filch is very upset, you know."

James snorted. "Good," he replied, adding quickly," not that I know where that _adorable_ kitty is."

Lily gave him a derisive look. "Do I have to go through this again, Potter?"

He smiled as she turned to leave. "Evans?"

"What?"

"What on Earth is poker?"

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Sirius took it upon himself to take a sick day on Wednesday morning. Remus informed Lily and Emmeline of this during breakfast, a pained look on his face.

"He was awake _all_ night moaning. I think he's coming down with something."

Of course, Lily didn't buy into the lie. Sirius had already stopped by their dorm this morning to talk with James. Pursing her lips, she chose not to comment, and instead bit into her croissant.

"Odd, Sirius being sick, isn't it?" Emmeline murmured demurely on their way to class. "I can't begin to imagine how strange he must look when he's all pale and sickly. So unattractive!"

Lily could have sworn she heard the empty, airy space beside her choke.

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All in all, Lily decided that Wednesday had been a very odd day indeed. Filch had wandered around talking to himself for the greater part of class time, and the caretaker had also begun to jump at strange noises. The noises happened to be one Sirius Black hidden beneath an invisibility cloak, meowing at Filch, but Filch did not seem to understand this and persevered in his desperate search for his cat.

At one point during the day, the caretaker had even gone so far as to stumble into Transfiguration, muttering to himself wildly. Sirius, who did not dare to miss this one lesson, could not resist letting out a quiet _meow_ from the back of the room. The class had laughed as Filch jumped, eyes wild, and immediately began hurrying toward the door.

Professor McGonagall had raised her eyebrows, her seering look directed toward the four howling boys.  
"I do hope," she had said mildly. "That poor Mr Filch has his cat restored to him with the utmost haste, for the good of the whole school."

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"Potter!"

James flinched as Lily came charging into their common room. Sirius raised his eyebrows at the head girl, daring her to continue while he, Remus and Peter were also present.

Lily, of course, had seen the Marauders, and didn't miss a beat.

"Even better, you lot are all here, I can yell at you together," she told them grimly. "_Give Mrs. Norris back_. Poor Filch is desperate and as far as I've gathered the poor cat can't be having much fun herself, hidden away in a box. So give her back, please. Remus, I thought you knew better than this."

Remus shrugged. "I don't feel particularly sorry for either Filch or Mrs. Norris, Lily. The cat is in the room of-"

Sirius quickly muffled his friend, but Lily had already heard enough. "The room of requirement, is it?" she asked, resigned. "I suppose she _would_ be happy enough in there, then. But Filch is driving me mad, so can you _at least_ lock them up together? While you're at it, return that toilet too. Sirius, I'm looking at you."

Sirius muttered something dark under his breath, but as Lily hadn't waited for a reply she was already up the staircase. Sirius watched her progression along the gallery with interest.

"You know, Prongs, if you leant back like this, and Evans was leaning on that railing up there, I almost reckon you could see up her skirt," he said thoughtfully.

James scowled. "No perving on Lily, Padfoot. That's none of your business."

Sirius just laughed, in a mocking sort of way. "Don't even try to pretend you're not going to check if that ever happens, Prongs. It's a waste of our time."

Remus sighed. "You know, we really should give Mrs. Norris back, you know." He looked between his three friends, eyes wide. "Can we be mature about this for once?" he asked into the shocked silence.

"Not on your life, Moony," Sirius responded without missing a beat.

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It was midnight by the time the Marauders managed to make it up to the seventh floor corridor. They had left after 11pm to avoid the prefects, and also because James had been required to patrol for an hour with Lily. Sirius was furious that it had taken an hour for them to climb three levels, but it seemed that Filch had enlisted the help of the Hogwarts ghosts to find his cat, and as it were the ghosts had been everywhere, popping through walls when they least expected it. Even the Marauders Map had proven quite unhelpful as they required light to read it.

"I can't believe you lot are giving in so easily," Sirius complained.

James shrugged easily. "Haven't we had our fun, Padfoot?"

"I think Mrs Norris has learnt her lesson by now, Sirius," Remus added.

Peter frowned, looking between his friends. Deciding to side with Sirius in the vain hope that it would earn him extra credit, he put his hands on his hips.

"You two aren't any fun anymore."

"Wormtail, get your hands off your hips, you bloody girl."

James began to pace, and on his third lap a door appeared. Eagerly, Sirius entered and the others moved to follow.

"Ow," Peter complained, having had his nose shoved into Sirius' back. For the boy had stopped short, staring at the Room of Requirement in amazement and disgust.

One by one, the boys filed in after Sirius, stunned.

The Room smelt distinctly of tuna, and was filled with all manner of strange things. Three lounges which had clearly seen better days stood at one end, cat hair sticking out of the material and huge claw marks slashed across their sides.

In the middle was a huge pool full of what appeared to be every kind of fish Mrs Norris fancied. At the far end was a fountain of milk, which appeared to cascade from the wall, while all manner of scrawny birds fluttered overhead, desperately fleeing from the frolicking feline.

"It's a bloody paradise," Sirius swore.

James grinned. "I guess its powers of intuition extend to cats," he shrugged. "I feel better now, somehow."

Mrs Norris had noticed her visitors. She leapt from her overhead walkway and landed on the ground at Sirius' feet, purring and entwining herself around his legs.

"She _likes _us!" Peter exclaimed unnecessarily, his face a priceless look of disbelief.

"Kind of seems a shame to free her when she's having such a good time," James said slowly.

"Now, James, remember what Lily said?" Remus reminded him sternly.

The Head Boy appeared to deliberate the matter for a few moments before sighing.

"Moony's right," he announced, addressing the cat. "I'm sorry, Mrs Norris, but we have to give you back." Struck by sudden inspiration, he added, "But if you're good, we'll let you back in here every now and then."

Mrs Norris purred.

Sirius looked up at his friends, eyes shining.

"Remind me why we didn't do this before?"

James shrugged, but was suddenly overcome with a (brilliant) idea.

"Hey guys… do you think that Lily would be this pleased to see us if we lock _her_ in here?"

Remus looked at James, pity in his eyes as he shook his head. Sirius followed suit, and naturally, so did Peter, as the three turned and walked silently away from him.

_Well, it hadn't sounded so bad in his head_, James argued, before shrugging amiably and striding to catch up.


	4. Chapter 4

  
**Disclaimer: I'm not claiming a thing except for my plot (yes, mine). Hence, credit where it is due (in bucket loads, as the case may be) to JKR**

**A/N: Just a little FYI before you read this chappy, because i've had a few people comment on it... JKR has actually confirmed that James was a Chaser in Quidditch. Chris Columbus made him a seeker in the first HP movie, and nothing at all has been said in the books - so i am going with JKR on ths one (as she _should_ know these things!**

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**Chapter Four: In which Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw**

Artemis Scamander II was a desperately good-looking seventeen-year-old boy, with blonde curls and wonderfully deep brown eyes. On many occasions, the Marauders had been known to laugh about Scamander's "muddy" eyes, but Lily believed that they, and particularly James Potter, were jealous of Art's handsomeness. In fact, the only student in the school who surpassed Art in attractiveness was Sirius Black himself, and as Sirius Black was arrogant and vain, this did not count for much. Not to mention the fact that Sirius never had time for girls, unless it was convenient for him. He was much too busy causing mischief with his friends. Art on the other hand was a true lady's man. He was warm and generous and _considerate_… so much so that in their sixth year, Lily had fallen deeply in like with him.

"Good morning, Beautiful," Art smiled winningly, kissing Lily on the cheek as she sat down beside him.

"Art," Lily said slowly, gazing up at the teacher's table. "Is that what I think it is?"

She heard Art sniff behind her. "I'm afraid so, Flower. How distasteful. _Some_ of us are trying to eat, you know!"

He had raised his voice, so that the last sentence drifted across the hall to the Gryffindor table, making four seventh year boys laugh even harder.

For above the teacher's table, in the place of the usual Hogwarts banner, was an enlarged wizarding photograph of the Seventh year Slytherin, Severus Snape, picking his nose.

Lily turned back to Art, preferring to look at him rather than the hideous photograph.

This was not the first time this week that something strange had happened. In fact, in the weeks after Mrs Norris had been found in the Astronomy Tower, there had been a marked increase in Marauder-like pranks. Only the morning before, everybody in the Ravenclaw tower had awoken to discover the word "swot" scrawled across their foreheads. Thankfully for Art, he had managed to hide his with his fringe.

Now, Lily hadn't found the "swot" joke particularly humorous for several reasons: namely, that Sirius Black had called _her_ a swot many times, and secondly because her boyfriend's ego had taken a massive blow that morning. However, she could not help but find Snape's photograph slightly amusing, a fact that her boyfriend did _not_ approve of.

"What are you smiling about?" he demanded grumpily, as she gazed back to the Head table, where Dumbledore, McGonagall and Slughorn were now deep in discussion, staring up at the towering monstrosity with mixed reactions. Dumbledore seemed mildly impressed, while Slughorn was rather concerned and McGonagall was seething.

Lily bit her lip, unwilling to provoke Art's touchy mood further. He never _had_ been a morning person, after all.

"Nothing," she murmured absently, unable to stop herself from gazing over to the Gryffindor table.

James Potter caught her eye, and his laugh froze mid-way across his lips in shock. Lily quirked her eyebrows at him, which was code for: _nice photo, Potter, glad to see such a wonderful display of maturity and integrity from the Head B_oy. This made James shrug simply in reply, as if to say: _Glad you thought so_.

Art was talking to her again, Lily realised. Tearing herself away from James' eyes, she smiled politely and turned back to her boyfriend.

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"I couldn't believe my luck when I walked into the bathroom!" Sirius was boasting for the fifth time that morning. "There was Snivelly peering into the mirror with a finger jabbed up his snoz! He didn't see me, well of course he didn't, I was invisible… so anyway I went over and stuck the camera in front of him. You should have seen him jump at the flash!"

Lily massaged her temples. It had been a mistake sitting near the Marauders in Charms; she knew that now. Not only was she forced to listen to Black's boasting, but she could _feel_ Potter's eyes boring into the back of her head, apparently hopeful of a continuance of their staring contest.

Finally snapping, Lily turned.

"Yes, yes, Black, you're very clever, congratulations and all that… but can you _please_ pay attention now?"

Without waiting for a reply, she turned back to the front of the room to find Emmy looking at her curiously. Lily shrugged, and as she did so, she heard the unmistakeable slap of a high five.

"She liked our prank!" James voice rang out across the room, a little louder than he had perhaps intended.

"Mr Potter!" Professor Flitwick's voice rang out even louder. The teacher looked halfway between amusement and dismay. "Let me assume that you did not just confess to the unfortunate display in the Great Hall this morning, and shall we proceed with the lesson?"

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"It was definitely the Marauders," Lily told Art cheerfully as he walked her to Arithmancy. Her normally jovial boyfriend merely frowned.

"Is that so," he replied vaguely, looking past her toward Felicity Faust. She smiled and waved.

Unusually for Art, he did not return the gesture, and instead looked again at Lily, deep in thought.

"I thought it was a particularly amusing prank," Lily persevered, more to fill Art's awkward silence than anything else. Lily had the horrible suspicion that Art had actually winked at Felicity.

"Well why don't you just go and faun over the Marauders then," Art suggested, suddenly bitter. "I'm sure they'd love the attention, especially Potter," he spat.

Lily stopped dead still. "What on earth do you mean to say, Art?"

"I don't see you any more because you're always off with _Potter_ being _busy_," Art told her brutally. "I think you need to take a good hard look at what you want from us, because I don't think I can stand waiting for you much longer."

Lily stood in the corridor, stunned, as students milled around her, watching Art's golden hair disappear into the crowd. _What on earth had that been about_?

"Art!" she called, and disregarding that she was Head Girl and should behave in a dignified manner.

He didn't stop as she raced after him, and when she grasped at his arm, he shook her off again.

"What on earth is wrong with you, Art?"

He turned to her then, scowling. "Nothing's wrong with me, _Lily_. It's you. You ignore me and you're selfish and inconsiderate and _stupid_, Lily. I've had enough. I'm finished."

"Finished what?" she asked, not caring that her voice was wavering.

"I'm finished waiting for you, Lily Evans."

She let him walk away then, unable to cope with more rejection.

Muscled arms snaked around her shoulders, and a small hand gripped her. Lily blushed with shame. It was bad enough that Art had yelled at her in front of everyone, but it seemed that both Emmeline and Potter had heard. They steered her away gently, Emmy squeezing her hand reassuringly as Potter gripped her shoulder.

"If it makes you feel any better, Lil, we're planning on smashing him at Quidditch on Saturday."

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"Aaand it's Potter with the Quaffle, throws it to Jordan, who catches it, just. It's Jordan up the field, Jordan – Jordan – Williams – and Ravenclaw captain Scamander intercepts- ouch! That must have hurt. Gryffindor Captain Black pelts a bludger at Scamander, _again_, he best be careful else we suspect he has a personal problem with Ravenclaw!"

Lying in her bed in the Head's Dorm, Lily could listen to the match as Remus' commentary floated up across the grounds. Her heart panged every time he mentioned Art's name, but Lily figured she'd have to get used to that.

"And it's Gryffindor back in possession, excellent intercept by Potter, passes to Vance, back to Jordan and _what's this? Is that the Snitch?_"

Lily imagined everyone craning around looking for the fluttering gold speck.

"Ah, I seem to have distracted – Potter scores! Well done, James! That's Gryffindor 180-20, ladies and gentleman, excellent goal if I say so myself. Sorry, Professor. Anyway, Potter's victory lap has ended as – yes, I knew I'd seen it, Gryffindor Seeker Wood is racing toward the Hufflepuff stand now, and Ravenclaw Seeker Hank seems to have caught on – Scamander grabs the Quaffle from Potter – _Oh!_ Scamander again takes a bludger to the stomach courtesy of Black, _and it's Wood and Hank neck and neck, Wood, Hank, Wood – youch, Hank disabled by Reaser's bludger, it's Wood all the way, and YES!"_

A great cheer went up from the crowd as presumably Thomas Wood plucked the Snitch from the air.

"And Gryffindor wins! 330-20!"

Lily smiled. Potter had scored the winning goal, and Thomas, a second year in his first year as a seeker, had won the game. It was really quite extraordinary. She was glad, in a way more glad than usual, that Gryffindor had won, that Potter and Emmy and Black had beaten Art together.

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"Lily!" James yelled, entering through the carved witch. "We won! Party in the Gryffindor Common room! Oh, and there's some wanker out here wanting to apologize, too. I told him to go away."

Lily sat up very quickly, then cautiously stuck her head out of her room. "Art wants to apologize?" she asked, smiling.

James was downstairs by the fire, frowning. "Oh come on, Lily. Tell me you're not going to fall for that!"

Lily stepped out of her bedroom and closed the door, smoothing her skirt to hide her shaking hands. "I'm miserable without him, Potter," she confessed brutally. "Would you rather me be miserable without him, or happy with him?"

"I'd prefer for you to be happy without him, to be frank, Lily. But it's your choice, as always. I'm off to the party but I'll wait for you, if you like?"

Lily descended the stairs and shook her head. "No thanks, Potter. I might see you there later."

James looked at her searchingly for a moment before nodding. "All right. Password's _rex dionis_, ok?"

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"Lily! – oh, it's you," Art's voice sounded ugly as he addressed James, poison dripping from his lips as he spat. "Did you get my girlfriend, Potter?"

James stood firm. "She'll come when she's ready, Scamander. And I swear, if you do _anyth-_"

"Potter? Art!"

Lily tried her best to sound surprised. The sneer on Art's face instantly transformed into a smile, and he stepped toward her questioningly.

James looked between them both, clearly unhappy, but Lily's look told him to get lost, quickly, and so he obeyed, silently cursing Scamander for ruining his evening. Scummy Art Scamander.

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**A/N: Poor James but he's such a gentleman**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, all comments, especially constructive criticism, are deeply appreciated! its amazing what effect a few small words can have on an author (remember this) so i have a request to make... if you're reading my story, PLEASE review even if its just "hey, i like this" or whatever. anything is most welcome! PurpleArmadillo, u are a champ!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: The characters and setting belong to the brilliant JKR. The tune for "Oh Christmas Tree" belongs to someone else too, but I don't know whom to credit. However, the lyrics I will claim as my own! **

**A/N hey everyone, once again thanks for all the reviews, u make my day! i kno at the moment im getting this stuff out pretty quickly, but thats bcos its already loaded and written, so once this stuff runs out, please keep in mind im a busy uni student who will do her best to update as often as possible!!! just incase any of u missed it, artemis scamander is newt scamander's son (author of fantastic beats) and artemis is one of newt's own middle names. and yes art is a bit of a wanker. that's the point! enjoy!**

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**Chapter Five: In which Snape is stalked**

"It is a pity," Snape said quite clearly to his cauldron, unfortunately named Bert, during Potions on Tuesday morning, "that Gryffindor are forced to _resort_ to choosing female team members for their Quidditch team. One… _supposes_ that they must feel rather depressed that they won because Ravenclaw are too weak to knock that girl in the head with a Bludger."

Slughorn laughed jovially. "Honestly, Severus!" he murmured, shaking his head and moving on, clearly under the impression that the boy was mad since three of the players of the afore-slandered team were sitting behind him.

James rolled his eyes, clearly bored.

"Is that the best you can do, Snivelly?"

Snape threw Bert a very nasty look indeed. "Funny how a Slytherin's best will _always_ surpass a Gryffindor."

Sirius's scowl deepened. "I swear, if he tells that bloody hunk of pewter one more thing…"

Remus gave Snape a pitying look. "It's not Severus' fault he's lonely," he said, with an equal clarity to that which Snape used.

James suppressed a laugh as the back of Snape's normally sallow neck turned a delicate shade of pink.

As he opened his mouth, however, Lily was happening to sweep past, which was very unfortunate for James, who was in the motions of exclaiming mockingly:

"But _Remus_, a Bert isn't simply a _cauldron_! She's my life!"

Which caused Lily to smirk and raise her eyebrows, and James to blush.

"I think Bert is a male name," Peter whispered helpfully.

"Another one for the tally," Sirius murmured to Remus. James looked at them questioningly.

"Well, Prongs, we figured a three-strikes-and-you're-out system might be useful, but you're already up to seven today, so I'm afraid we have a bit of work to do."

"Right," James growled, as Sirius openly smirked and Remus hid a smile.

"_Right_," James reiterated, even more livid when he realised everyone was laughing at him. "What Snape needs, I think, is a lesson in some Gryffindor team spirit. How about it, lads?"

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"What are you four up to?" Lily demanded as she walked past the Marauders, who were gathered around the coffee table in the Heads' common room as she walked past on her way to dinner. She did not miss Remus subtly vanishing a slip of parchment.

"Nothing, Evans, flower of my heart," Sirius told her, mocking Art's tone of voice, which caused Lily to make a nasty gesture toward him before leaving the common room.

James sighed, running his fingers through his already ruffled hair.

"Not getting any better, mate?" Sirius asked sympathetically.

James shrugged. "She's good sometimes. When no one else is around. And when I haven't done or said anything too stupid."

"It's worse than we thought, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah."

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"I _know_ they're up to something," Lily insisted to Emmeline over dinner when the Marauders didn't appear. "Since when do they miss dinner?"

Little did she know the Marauders were feasting on food begged from the house-elves.

Emmeline shrugged, tucking into her shepherd's pie. "More for the rest of us," she said through a mouthful.

"Since when have you cared before, Lily? You find them just as funny as everyone else," Alice pointed out fairly.

"True," the red-head conceded. "But I do think that they ought to have grown up by now, don't you?"

Isadora laughed. "Stop trying to expect more from them that they're willing to give, Lil. Standards are fine as long as you don't impose them on others."

"_I_ think Lily is secretly very fond of the boys," Marlene announced, examining her face. Lily blushed, leaving Marlene to crow triumphantly.

"I _knew it_!"

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"Lily's going to hate me," James moaned, miserable.

Remus patted his shoulder comfortingly. "From what I've heard, it can't get much worse anyway, Prongs."

"Do you want to bet on that, Moony?" James replied darkly. He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily, before opening them again. "All right, I'm ready."

"Would you like to do the honours, Mr Moony?"

"I would like that very much, Mr Padfoot. Cheer up, Mr Prongs."

"You forgot Mr Wormtail," Peter bleated plaintify.

"No one cares about Mr Wormtail," Sirius responded nastily.

"Mr Padfoot!"

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Lily spent the evening in the Gryffindor common room with Emmeline, Marlene and Isadora. Alice was a few metres away flirting with Frank Longbottom.

"Aren't they cute?" Marlene sighed enviously, watching Frank's face light up as Alice laughed.

Isadora tittered her agreement, which made Lily shake her head.

"Honestly!" she told Emmeline. "If they're that desperate for boyfriends, I'm sure there are lots of people who would like to date them."

Emmeline looked at Lily doubtfully. "Lily Evans, when will you learn that most of us don't care if lots of people would date us. There's always a special, unattainable someone, for all of us."

Lily was shocked. "I don't believe in unrequited love, Emmy!" she replied, before gving her friend a searching look. "So who is it, then?"

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Lily, you can't just ask that! Even if you _are_ my best friend."

"_Emmy_ likes Benjy Fenwick," Isadora piped up teasingly. Emmeline blushed, glaring at her friend.

"How did _you_ know?" she demanded, abashed.

"You talk in your sleep," Marlene replied easily. "Where are the Marauders tonight?" she added casually.

"_Marlene_ has a crush on Black," Emmeline added, smiling falsely. "Since we seem to be sharing, that is."

Marlene opened her mouth to object, then stopped, depressed. "It's not even worth lying about, is it?"

Lily shrugged, feeling strange. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Why don't you just ask them out, if you like them so much?"

The girls all exchanged aggrieved looks. "Lily, just because Art Scamander asked you doesn't mean everyone is so lucky."

"Oh!"

Lily stood bolt upright, surprised. "I'm sorry – I was supposed to meet him! Oh gosh, I hope he isn't angry again, I completely forgot!"

The three girls watched as their dishevelled friend dashed out through the portrait hole.

"It's a pity she doesn't even love him," Isadora sighed. "They make such a cute couple."

"Looks aren't everything, Izzie," Emmeline reminded her softly. This was a very timely statement, as the Marauders happened to enter the common room, and Emmeline caught James' scanning look. "In fact, I think Art is _completely_ the wrong person for our Lily."

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James joined the Marauders at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall the next morning, to find the air around their small portion of the table highly expectant.

Sure enough, and soon enough, music could be heard to be approaching the Great Hall, and all of a sudden, the double doors burst open to issue a very grumpy Snape. The doors slammed shut behind him, and the boys winced as a great clanging of metal rang through the Hall. The noise abruptly halted and the music resumed soon after, and the doors were once again opened to admit a suit of armour, which appeared to be singing.

Lily had heard the tune from a reasonable distance (she had very good hearing) and had been surprised to recognise the muggle Christmas song "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree". As the doors opened for a second time after Snape, however, Lily realised that the song was not, in fact, "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree". In fact, it was very different.

"_Oh Snivelly, Oh Snivelly,_

_Gryffindor won at Quid-ditch!_

_Oh Snivelly, Oh Snivelly,_

_Your Seeker cannot even find the Snitch!_

_Gryyyy-findor will win the cup,_

_And Slytherin will have to suck it up!_

_Oh Snivelly Oh Snivelly,_

_You are an ugly gi-it!"_

The Hall was silent as the suit of armour finished, taking his place behind Snape at the Slytherin table. The teachers stared at the suit of armour in surprise, and Lily approved of the fact that their gaze was immediately redirected to the Marauders, who were busy trying to look as innocent, amused and surprised as the rest of Hogwarts.

Peter Pettigrew had never been a convincing liar.

"Why has it stopped?" Sirius hissed as the students were beginning to slowly leave the Hall, chattering and laughing excitedly some ten minutes later. "Wasn't it supposed to keep singing?"

"I put it on a twenty minute timer, Padfoot," Remus explained patiently. "Because I, unlike you, would prefer that we learn something today."

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The golden suit of armour persisted in following Snape around for the duration of the day, much to the detriment of seventh year classes, which would be interrupted every twenty minutes for the armour to complete it's rendition of what had formerly been one of Lily's favourite Christmas carols. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall had attempted, to no avail, to remove the charm placed on the suit of armour, and when that failed Professor McGonagall had further attempted to transfigure the suit of armour into a rock. This also did not work, due to certain wards that Lily suspected James Potter must have laid on the armour to make it un-Transfigurable.

Professor Dumbledore had examined the armour himself in the morning break before announcing, quite contentedly, that the suit of armour had been placed under a particularly curious and wonderful piece of magic which he believed should be appreciated and admired. This, of course, displeased Snape to no end, and he became, if possibly imaginable, even more bitter and twisted than usual.

"Why don't we silence it?" Lily suggested finally, in Charms.

She was pleased to note the Marauders exchange stricken looks, and knew instantly that silencing would work. And so it did – well, kind of.

Unfortunately for Lily, the silencing charm required constant replacing. The charm developed a tendency to wear off at the most inconvenient of places, for instance that evening as Professor Dumbledore was speaking to the students before dinner.

"-And Mr Filch has asked me to remind you to please refrain from setting off Dungbombs in the corridors-"

"_And Slytherin will have to suck it up."_

The entire Hall turned to stare at Snape's armour. Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at it. "Thank you," he told it mildly. "I don't feel that will be necessary."

Lily could have sworn, much to her disappointment, that Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling in amusement. Was he just going to let the Marauders get away with this?

"I think perhaps that I would like a word with my Head students after dinner, if you please, Lily and James?"

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"I am concerned," Professor Dumbledore announced, "That poor Severus is being bullied. Can either of you think of anyone who would be so malicious?"

Dumbledore was frowning as he directed his gaze toward the head boy. James shrugged, apologetic but only to a point.

"Snape has a lot of people off-side," James remarked, looking out the window at the glittering lights of the school.

"And why, do you suppose, people are "off-side" with him?"

"Well, he's kind of obsessed with the dark arts, Professor," James told him earnestly, meeting Dumbledore's eyes now. "Remember last year, when he slashed that poor Hufflepuff for staring at him? And… about that other incident?"

Dumbledore nodded again, leaving Lily to ponder the enigmatic incident. Unfortunately she couldn't recall anything in particular.

"Do you have anything to add. Lily?"

Startled, Lily bit her lip. "Well I don't have to wonder that poor Severus is antisocial when he has been continually victimised by certain persons for as long as we've been at Hogwarts."

"He provokes me, Lily! That day at the lake… well I'm sorry about that, but he provokes me just as much as I provoke him!"

Dumbledore did not seem to miss the distinct note of pleading in the Head Boy's voice. Lily remained unimpressed.

"James, do you know who is responsible for today's display?"

James bit his lip. "No," he lied hollowly. "I can't say I know."

Dumbledore sighed, disappointed. "Very well. Thank you for your help. Good night, James, Lily."

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They had made their way back to the Head's tower in silence, but James knew better than to expect Lily to remain quiet. Surely enough, scarcely seconds after _"Amortentia" _had been muttered, and the Carved Witch had swung open, Lily rounded on him.

"You are a big fat liar, James Potter," she told him, eyes flashing. "I _know_ you bewitched that suit of armour."

"Actually, Remus is much better at charms than I am," James said fairly, completely missing the look on the Head Girl's face.

"I knew it! Why can't you just take responsibility for yourselves, for once? Cowards!"

James scowled. "Lily, we may be accomplished liars, and yes, I will categorically deny telling you that. But the Marauders, cowards? How could you?"

"You're too scared to fight your own battles, for one," Lily pointed out scathingly. "You have to hide behind your pranks and let some poor, useless piece of armour take the flack. You called Snape an _ugly git_, Potter. That's extremely low."

"Sirius prefers to think of it as affectionate."

"POTTER!"

"Well," James appeared to deliberate the point. "We were going to have him sing "_You are an evil git"_ but we thought that might be taking it just a bit far."

"So its ok to call someone ugly?! Do you throw that around often, Potter?"

James bit his lip, increasingly worried by the look on Lily's face. He was afraid that she was nearing the stage of spontaneous combustion.

"Well, _yes_, we do, to Snape. But we'd never call _you_ ugly, Lil," he told her kindly,

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say.

"I've had it!" Lily cried, her eyes flashing as she threw her arms up in the air and disappeared up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door for affect.

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"Artemis Scamander requesting entry, Mr Potter," the carved witch announced, half an hour later.

James scowled. _Perfect_. Setting down his Care of Magical Creatures homework, he stood up.  
"Let him in, I suppose, please."

The Carved Witch swung open and Art stepped inside. James felt bitter that the magnificence of the room seemed to be lost to him. Instead, Scummy marched down the hall, nodded coldly at him, and climbed the stairs. Once he was at Lily's door, he knocked quietly, and was quickly ushered inside. This also gave Lily further opportunity to slam the door.

James sighed. It was going to be a long night.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviews are ALWAYS appreciated and (unless they are anonymous, of course) i will always personally reply to them! If you haven't already, you might like to check out some of my other stories, i have quite a few oneshots, my favourites (hows that for a recommendation?!) being _Beautiful Hypocrisy_ and _One Dark Night, I Dreamt of Youth_, which you can access through my author's page! I'd also like to mention my community the Reviews Lounge, its gathering a bit of a following, and really i find its just a lovely environment to nuture your writing skills! Everyone is welcome, so come check it out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling created and owns all Harry Potter related material that I may reference in the course of my story… but the plot is mine, thank you very much!!! **

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!!! I would like to point out at this point that Lily does not hate James. In fact, I think ( or rather, I know) she thinks he's quite a nice guy. I've gone to the trouble to explain Lily's point of view on James in this chapter, just to clarify the situation for everyone. Anyway, read on for a chapter of mistaken intentions and marauder mischief! Reviews are always appreciated, especially if I get an extra ten before next chapter xx - Lexie**

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**Chapter Six: In which the Marauders go marauding and James loses his temper**

Every night that week, Emmeline had been sitting in the common room with the girls. Alice was in love with Frank Longbottom, and while Isadora and Marlene were fascinated, Emmeline was bored with all their "talks".

Instead she focused her attentions on the three boys in the far corner, who appeared deep in discussion. Remus Lupin was extremely pale on Monday night, and as the week progressed he continued to look even worse. Emmeline liked Remus quite a lot, having had spent some time studying with him and Lily in the library last year. Now, Lily seemed to be too busy to meet up for their weekly meetings, and without her the little threesome had fallen apart.

Some nights, James joined the boys. Emmeline noticed their difference immediately. Sirius became more animated, Remus made more of an effort to look lively, and Wormtail was more eager. She felt sad, now, watching the three of them alone. Without James, the Marauders seemed deflated, which she could relate to. Emmeline missed Lily just as much, if not more so.

Lily seemed to be too busy these days to visit her friends. She was always on patrol, or spending time with the fabulous Art, or studying. And really, Emmeline didn't find Art that fabulous. He was egotistical and selfish, and thought so highly of himself that Emmeline was surprised Art hadn't suggested renaming Ravenclaw Quidditch team the _Soaring Scamanders_, or something equally as vomitous. And the team wasn't even that talented!

Emmeline stood up decisively. "I'm going to visit Lily," she told the surprised girls, who nodded, sent their greetings with Emmeline and returned to their discussion of children's names.

Emmeline let herself out of the portrait hole and made her way down the closest staircase. The Head's tower was on almost the opposite end of the castle to the Gryffindor tower, but luckily for Emmeline, her path fell directly in line with the Ravenclaw common room. As she passed the corridor that led toward it, she was tempted to go and ask if she could see Benjy Fenwick. But that was stupid because she had only spoken to the quiet, handsome Fenwick three times, and Emmeline didn't think she would know what to say.

So instead, she headed for the Head's Tower, and quite by chance ran into James Potter.

"Hi Em," he greeted her softly, hands shoved deep in his pockets, a frown creasing his brow.

"Is Lily in the tower?" Emmeline responded almost immediately, then kicked herself mentally. _Of course Lily was in the tower. From the look of James, it seemed she wasn't alone, either_.

"Scummy there too?" she asked, in a softer voice. James nodded sadly.

Emmeline smiled kindly, amazed that Lily had refused to notice this wonderful, sensitive boy who stood before her, miserably suffering the effects of unrequited love.

"Hold in there James," she told him kindly.

He smiled sadly. "Oh, I will," he reassured her. "Lily's worth it. I'm just not sure I deserve her."

Emmeline scoffed. "That's ridiculous," she told him. "You're three fold nicer and smarter and more talented than Scummy. Lily just… can't get past his looks I guess."

James laughed wolfishly. "Thanks, Em. That makes me feel much better. Scummy's more attractive, is he? I always thought he looked a little girly."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Fishing for compliments, are we? Yes, Art is very pretty. But I think you have nicer eyes."

James nodded slowly, looking very thoughtful. "Do you fancy a trip to the kitchens, Em?" She must have looked surprised, because James immediately sought to clarify his offer. "I guess we're both a little lonely without Lily, that's all. And my misery would sure love some company."

Emmeline looked up at him thoughtfully. "You really do like her, don't you James?"

He nodded shortly, a faint tinge of red staining his cheeks. "How about that supper, Vance?"

Emmeline laughed. "Fine, then, Potter. Lead the way."

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"Art?" Lily asked, lying in his arms on the bed.

They had just finished a particularly intense kissing session, and as usual her boyfriend now chose to lie in silence.

"What, Lily?"

"Am I attractive?"

Art sat up, raising his eyebrows. "I think so. _Potter_ thinks so too. Mind you, I haven't seen _much_ of you to tell. But from what I've seen, Lily, you're very beautiful."

Lily nodded shortly, and waited for Art to lie back down. Instead, the boy stood up, tossing the blonde curls from his eyes.

"Actually sweetheart, I have to go. I promised I'd see the boys tonight, I knew you wouldn't mind."

Lily nodded again, and left it to Art to show himself out.

Not for the first time, she wondered what Art saw in her. Not a lot, obviously, as all he ever spoke about was himself, and it seemed that all he thought about, regarding her, was that she had a pretty face and that he hadn't seen her naked. Lily sighed. She hoped there was more to love than this, she really did. But who knew? Petunia had married a fat, ugly, foul tempered, well off man. Vernon did not appear particularly affectionate either, and perhaps this was the normal thing. Maybe love was about selfishness.

Lily made her way down stairs, feeling the need for a good book. Searching the study, she was pleased to discover a small, tatty copy of muggle fiction hidden between two old spell books. _Pride and Prejudice_ was exactly what she needed.

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Lily woke up to the sound of laughter. Sitting up on the lounge, her book slid to the floor unnoticed as she saw James and Emmeline enter the common room together, laden with a small feast. Both stopped when they saw her, looking surprised.

Lily was equally as shocked. _James and Emmy_?

"Ummm… hello?" she asked.

James smiled. "What happened to Art?" he asked tightly.

"Oh, he left ages ago."

James and Emmeline exchanged a look that Lily couldn't read. They seemed to come to an agreement, however, and moved forward to set the food down on the table in the centre of the room.

"Ice cream, Lily?" Emmeline offered.

Lily frowned. "Can I have a word with you for a moment, Em?" she asked cautiously.

James and Emmeline exchanged another secret look before Emmeline nodded. Lily promptly dragged her into the study and shut the door.

Turning to her friend, she raised her eyebrows. "I thought you liked Benjy?"

Emmeline's mouth gaped, surprised, but Lily pushed on.

"Not that I mind, I think it's nice that you've found someone. Potter is nice enough, and Merlin knows it means he might grow up and stop annoying everyone if he has a girlfriend… But I guess I just wanted to tell you I'm happy for you both."

Emmeline looked at Lily hopelessly, shaking her head. "You idiot," she giggled. "James and I aren't together!"

It was Lily's turn to look equally as shocked. "But – you two, just then…"

"I was coming to find you, and I found him instead looking sad, and he told me you were with Art, so we went to the kitchens together. I cheered him up, because he's my friend and team mate and he looked sad, Lily. There's nothing else there, I promise."

"Huh," Lily responded stupidly. "If you say so, Em. You two look good together."

"Save it, Lily," Emmeline told her patiently. "He's only got eyes for one girl."

"Really?" Lily asked, surprised. "I've never noticed. Who?"

Emmeline felt like smacking her head against a wall at this point. Instead she shrugged. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out," she told her mysteriously. "Now if you'll excuse me, my ice cream is melting."

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"Where have you been?" Sirius hissed as James slipped out from beneath his invisibility cloak to join the Marauders in the seventh year dorm.

James shrugged. "Busy, sorry. I got here as soon as I could."

Sirius frowned. "Nice commitment, mate. Anyway, Moony left about an hour ago so we've got to hurry if we want to catch him."

The grounds were eerily quiet as the boys made their way across the grassy slopes toward the Whomping Willow. The lake glowed in the moonlight, still and silent and glassy. A breeze ruffled through the trees of the Forbidden Forest, and somewhere not too distant something moved about the undergrowth. When they arrived within 10 yards of the tree, which was contentedly still and silent, Peter transformed from beneath the cloak and dashed off to hit the tree root which would freeze the willow's wrath. That done, James and Sirius slipped out from beneath the cloak, which James folded and placed snugly hidden amongst the tree roots, before setting off down the tunnel.

"Hello," Remus greeted them shakily as they entered single file into the Shack, always cautious. Remus' skin was tinged a particularly greyish colour, and his skin was damp with sweat.

"I think you'd better trans- ERGGGHHHH!"

James flinched involuntarily at his friend's howl of pain. He looked away, unable to bear the sight of Remus' transformation, even though he'd seen it many times before. Remus' body would freeze, and then all at once his limbs would elongate, looking as though they threatened to tear his skin. His skin… grey increasingly greyer, and sprouted patchy grey tufts of hair. His skull would lengthen until it was all angles, very sharp, and resembled nothing of the kind, gentle boy James knew was trapped inside. And his eyes…. Remus' wonderfully soulful eyes transformed into hard golden stones with pinpricked pupils, glinting with malice.

With a thought, James too transformed. The stag within him panicked, as always, at the claustrophobic nature of the shack. James felt a paw on his shoulder, and turned to regard Sirius, a great, shaggy black dog with sparkling, deep black eyes, who was watching him solemnly.

There wasn't a lot of time for solemn understanding however… the werewolf was released. He sat, panting on the hearthrug, and staring at the dog, stag and rat in a rather confused fashion. It wasn't that he was interested in eating them. It was more a question of what they were doing there.

Seeing Remus like this inevitably caused the boys to experience a sharp pang of sadness. He obviously didn't recognise them. Nor would he recall their inevitable adventure the following morning. Remus received small consolation in the outrageous and oft-exaggerated tales of their escapades the following morning as he recovered.

Thankfully, there was one time that Remus would never remember. It was enough that he had to deal with the possibility that he would have harmed Snape.

The werewolf was still looking toward the stag, dog and rat questioningly. He lifted his nose in the air and sniffed. Clearly displeased by the stale, musty smell of the shack, he whined.

Sirius and James exchanged a nod and approached him. Remus panted, still unsure of what to make of them. He sniffed again, then grinned a wolfish grin, recognizing their smell. Remus stood up and wagged his tail, ready for another adventure. Sirius padded toward the door and stood on his hind legs, turning the handle with his paws…

Several gruelling hours later, as the door to the Shrieking Shack closed, Sirius, James and Peter transformed back into themselves. With their animagi forms disappeared the numerous cuts and bruises that had been carved across their bodies during the night. Weary, the three exchanged a look of exhaustion before retreating down the passageway.

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James whispered his password to the Carved Witch, and promptly snuck back into the Head's Tower, fully expecting that Lily would be asleep. It was, after all, well into the early hours of the morning. However, fully contrary to James' expectations and much to his horror, Lily seemed to be standing in the middle of their common room. He rubbed his eyes, exhausted and hopeful that he was mistaken.

"Nice of you to come home," the Head Girl murmured dryly.

James gulped. He definitely was not mistaken. Lily had waited up for him; not only that, Lily was wearing a bathrobe that finished just above her knees. He closed his eyes, trying not to stare at her lovely slim legs.

"Why did you wait up?" he managed, looking extremely guilty.

Lily surveyed the boy standing before her. His shoulders dropped with exhaustion; his hair was sticking up at all ends, looking particularly messy. His handsome face was drawn, and there was a wary, fearful look in his eyes that she did not understand.

_Although, really,_ Lily conceded, _there was a lot she did not understand about Potter._

Like, for instance the fact that he was terribly modest about… well, everything, unless she was around. In fact, the confident and charming Head Boy tended to morph instantaneously into an arrogant bully any time she came within his vicinity. It was as if Lily hadn't been properly introduced to the real James Potter, as if she hadn't been _allowed_ to see the real him. And this puzzled Lily to no end, because she knew that he was by no means a horrible person. In fact, unbeknownst to James she had spied him outside the library one day in fourth year rescuing a Hufflepuff boy from several Slytherins, and Lily felt that was probably one of the bravest things she had seen anyone do, considering the Slytherins were sixth years. So, in actual fact, Lily was quite aware that 'Potter' wasn't as horrible and self-absorbed as he pretended to be – which made his moments of stupidity all the more disappointing.

"Li- Evans?" James asked. He was quite concerned, because she a) didn't seem to be talking to him and b) nor did she seem particularly angry. Rather, Lily Evans looked sad.

"I know that you and your friends go out every full moon, Potter," she told him. "I just would have thought that you and Remus and Black might have shown some responsibility for your actions by now. Do you have _any idea_ how dangerous the forest is?" she asked him gently. She had purposely omitted Peter, whom she knew would simply follow his three friends anywhere.

James opened his mouth slowly, and stared. "That's… that's… that's NONE of your business, Evans," he finally managed to announce, his voice a few degrees below cold.

"I just think you might consider growing up and thinking about the consequences of your little escapades, Potter," Lily replied, not one to be easily rebuffed.

"It's none of your business," James repeated stonily. Lily opened her mouth once more to argue, and he cut her off swiftly.

"We're not as silly or immature as you might think, Evans, sitting in the Head's Tower feeling so _superior_ to us mere mortals. Maybe _you_ should grow up and stop looking down on us. Bloody hell! You can't loosen the reigns enough to consider that we know exactly what we're doing out there, you can't trust our instincts or us because _you_ are always right. You couldn't even lower yourself enough to go on one stinking date with me, Lily. Am I so terrible? Maybe it's _you_ who should grow up, Evans."

James turned away, rather aware that Lily's face was burning and her eyes were looking distinctly teary. _That seemed to get the message across_, he thought brutally as he climbed the stairs.

Lily remained in the middle of the common room, blinking furiously. _Stupid_, she chastised herself. _I deserved that. He's right, I shouldn't have pried_. And while the rational side of Lily was blaming herself for James' outburst, the irrational and highly emotional side was slowly disintegrating into a state of self-worthlessness and misery. Was she so callous that she had driven away someone who had reputedly cared about her so deeply? And Art, Lily supposed, would have had exactly the same reaction. Lily bit her lip to stop it wobbling. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Realizing she was standing barefoot in the middle of an empty common room at three in the morning, Lily slowly turned and made her way back up to her room, careful to be quiet.

James listened to Lily getting ready for bed. He sat cross-legged on his own, utterly disgusted with himself. He was always a bit tense after a full moon, something that he was sure was related to the highly-strung nature of his animagi. But to take this out on Lily, who only seemed genuinely concerned, if a little nosey… was completely unacceptable by James' own standards. It was the sort of behaviour, James concluded miserably, that he would expect from Scummy.

Not feeling at all tired, James waited until the sound stopped in Lily's room before quietly making his way back down stairs to sit in front of the fire. James didn't feel much like sleeping.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Everything HP related is all JKR's… all the rest is a product of my own imagination**

**A/N: Much to my delight and surprise, I already had Chapter Seven written, which was very convenient and very strange… but don't complain!!! At this point I feel the need to tell you that I won't have internet access over Easter, so your next instalment won't be available until (probably) sometime next week, which is the other reason I've decided to update so soon! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, as always, you make my day. I can't even begin to describe the warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach every time I check my email and find that someone has reviewed my work! It really is quite unique… so "go ahead, make my day" and please review!**

**And finally...**

WARNING: this chapter may contain some subtle (or not) references to things that small children should not yet know about! And I really really hope that this doesn't offend anyone, I've done my best to be subtle and vague! If you are offended, I'm sorry, try to think of it as "cheeky" not "bad"…

**Peace out, Lexie xx**

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**Chapter Seven: In which James has a dream and embarrasses himself**

"_Why can't you just grow up, Potter?"_

_James was taken aback by the viciousness of her attack. "Excuse me, Lily?"_

"You heard me," she said heatedly. "Do you ever think of the consequences? Someone could have been seriously hurt."

"_They were only fireworks, Lily. Relax."_

"_Fireworks in a full corridor, Potter. You expect me to relax?!"_

"_Lily, I honestly don't know why you're so worked up. The situation was completely under control. Sirius knew exactly what he was doing. I just wish he would have warned me first," he added, slightly annoyed himself._

_There was a quiet scoff from the other side of the room. "Like you hadn't known all the long."_

_James' eyebrows jumped so high that they disappeared beneath his unruly hairline. "I hadn't, Evans. I'm not responsible for Sirius."_

"_You're Head Boy, Potter!" Lily howled, stamping her foot._

_James suppressed a grin. Of all the times he found Lily attractive, this was certainly the most bizarre. Nevertheless, there it was._

"_You're so cute when you're cross."_

_Lily glowered at him. "I'm not cross," she responded through gritted teeth._

_James' smile broadened. "No, you're not," he agreed. "You're absolutely livid. It doesn't make you any less cute."_

_Lily's jaw twitched, her eyes hard. "Do not think you can charm yourself out of this, Potter."_

_He took two long steps toward her. "Relax, will you, Lily? No one was hurt. It was just a bit of fun. Loosen up."_

"_Loosen up?!"_

_She cast a hand over her eyes, massaging her temples. When she looked again, she was reasonably horrified to find him directly infront of her, smiling down kindly. _

"_You're so stressed," he told her gently. "Not that stressed doesn't mean you're not attractive or anything – I mean, Merlin, Lily, you've got to be the sexiest woman at Hogwarts. But that isn't the point," he added firmly._

_Lily bit her lip to keep from a scathing reply. She did not need nor want to be having this conversation. _

"_The point," James continued, "Is that you can't be happy if you're stressed. And frankly, Lily, there are more important things to worry about."_

_She raised her eyebrows sardonically._

"_That's rich, Potter. You, and only you, are the source of my stress."_

"_Within the problem, find the cure," he responded simply._

_She opened her mouth to retort, but something blocked her path. Or rather, someone._

_James had leant down and slowly, very carefully holding her chin, he kissed her._

_He pulled away, grinning. _

"_There, Lily. I knew that would shut you up."_

_James could not believe he was acting so calmly. He had just kissed Lily – had he? – he had just kissed the girl of his dreams. Said girl was now gaping at him with an odd look on her face, but this didn't seem to matter because there was an odd feeling coursing through his body, and his lips were throbbing. Maybe they would only just stop throbbing if- _

"_James Potter, how could you dare-"_

_He silenced her again, this time with a longer, firmer, more passionate kiss. Her lips were so soft on his, perfectly melding together. Unconsciously, his arms snaked around her body, hands joining in the small of her back._

_Lily seemed to be frozen, but James didn't really care because he was kissing her again, and the throbbing in his lips had stopped. _

_James didn't want to stop. It felt so right, holding her in his arms, kissing her firmly and well. He tingled all over with excitement, his skin practically humming-_

_Oh wow._

_For a moment, James paused, startled by the responding pressure. Lily was kissing him back!_

_He pulled away for air reluctantly, his eyes shyly meeting hers._

They were a brilliant, shining emerald green, emphasised by the gentle blush of her cheeks and the deep red of her lips. He smiled.

"_How – how was that?"_

_Lily seemed to be speechless, not to mention breathless. There was an expression in her face that he couldn't quite read, but seemed to be a mixture of amazement and fear. Then, ruefully, she smiled shyly at him, and shrugged._

_Liking what he saw, James kissed her again, once more, firmly and swiftly, and pulled away completely, setting himself down on the plush red sofa._

"_What does this mean, James?" _

_Her voice was quiet, shy, and quite raw. Grinning, James patted the seat beside him. _

"_It means, Lily Evans, that I like you, very much. And I think it means that you like me too."_

_Although she blushed furiously, James was pleased to see that she made no attempt to contradict him. He took a deep breath._

"_Lily Evans, will you be my girl-" _

"POTTER!"

Some one was shaking him. James opened his eyes groggily to find Lily staring down at him, biting her lip. Had he fainted? How embarrassing! She's never go out with him now, James internally moaned, ashamed.

"Lily?" he asked tentatively.

She blushed. "Sorry to wake you up," she mumbled, perching beside him on the lounge. Realisation hit James like a Bludger to the head. He had been _dreaming_. This was infinitely disappointing for him to realise that he _hadn't_ been kissing Lily. But it had felt so real! Or so he assumed. But truthfully, as much as he wished the facts were different, James Potter had never kissed Lily Evans before, and he did not in fact know what it would feel like. James did not realise his cheeks were burning bright red with these thoughts, but Lily did.

"Are you all right, Potter?"

"Fine," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes. "What's up, Evans?" he asked, immediately switching back to her last name and struggling not to blush. Since they apparently hadn't kissed, '_Lily'_ felt too intimate again. And as much as James craved intimacy with Lily, he wasn't going there unless he was allowed.

"Oh." It was Lily's turn to look away. "I just wanted to… I just wanted to apologise for prying, Potter. I had no right to, and what you do is your business. I just would prefer to know that you're safe, that's all. I _know_ you four get together every full moon, did you think I hadn't noticed? I just want you to know that it's ok. I don't think any worse of you, or anything like that."

James gulped. He hadn't even considered that someone had noticed their subtle vanishing act every full moon to keep Remus company.

"Thanks, Evans," he said gently. "But-"

Lily looked up at the urgency in his voice.

"Will you swear not to tell anyone?"

She nodded soberly. "Of course, Potter. Why would I tell? There's so much prejudice about werewolves, and I'm sure you're all really lovely people, deep down at least. I guess it's a bit unfortunate that it happened to you all, but I suppose that's what happens when you go adventuring and it really isn't your fault."

Lily dared to look at him, amazed he was taking her speech so well. She felt sorry for him, really, She felt sorry for _all _of them. It was a terrible price to pay for a silly decision.

"Evans," James began slowly. "What did you just say?"

"Just that I suppose you were young and it's a really terrible price to pay for having fun, and all. I suppose it happened to you all at once?"

"So… Do you think that we're all werewolves, then?" he asked abruptly, standing up and turning away from her.

James couldn't believe it. How wrong she was! To be fair, it was probably a very clever assumption to make, considering they always disappeared together during the full moon. It was very sweet of her, to imagine that they were all so innocent.

Lily couldn't understand what was wrong. She knew she was right: she had thought about this long and hard, and it was the only possible answer!

James turned back to her, his face carefully blank. _Oh, the others were going to _kill_ him_. But James Potter was tired of having to explain and justify himself to Lily. Somehow, right now, it didn't matter that what he was about to reveal was more or less a confession of highly illegal activity, it mattered even less that the confession was going to be made to one of the most law-abiding students in Hogwarts. James wanted to show Lily, and that was what he was going to do.

"Evans," his voice was gentle again. "We aren't all werewolves. Look."

And right before her eyes, James transformed. Antlers blossomed from his unruly back hair, and his robes vanished as coarse brown hair began to form all over his body. Of course, all this happened very quickly, but to Lily's stunned mind the world was moving in slow motion.

As quickly as it had began, it stopped. A tall, proud stag stood on the hearthrug before her, blinking calmly with James Potter's eyes. Inwardly, she sighed. Of course he had kept his eyes: those enchanting, chocolate coloured eyes that held that secret, special look he seemed to reserved only for her. A look that sometimes, secretly, made her melt.

Tentatively, Lily stretched out a hand, and the stag stepped forward, nudging her with his nose. Lily laughed, running her hands down his coat, which was as chocolate brown as James' eyes, with random flecks almost as coal black as James' hair.

"This is amazing, Potter," she whispered, before regarding him thoughtfully. "I suppose you can understand me, can't you?"

The stag nodded, nuzzling her neck. He liked the colour of Lily's hair very much, that dark, flaming red that looked brilliant in comparison with the dulled colours of the stag's sight.

"So you're all animagus?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her deadly secret and highly private revelation several years earlier.

He shook his head. _Silly girl!_

"You're the only animagus?"

James shook his shaggy head again, unable to focus clearly as Lily's hands ran over his coat. She stretched out a hand to touch his antlers, and remembered with a start that she knew the answer already.

"Potter, I know Remus is a werewolf, but he's never bitten anyone, right?"

The stag nodded regally.

"Oh Remus," Lily sighed. " I suppose that's good. I've always known, you know," she admitted. "I knew it when he kept disappearing, and looking so sickly. But then, he started looking a little better, and I thought I was wrong, until I noticed you _all_ had started disappearing, so I thought that maybe... It wasn't a nice thought, but I thought that maybe there had been an accident or… Potter, this is amazing. I can't even imagine what this must mean to him, its such a kind, generous act, you're incredible."

James the stag felt happy. Happy was good. James the stag wanted Lily to transform into a deer too. She would make a very pretty doe. Maybe, the doe would have red fur, just like Lily's. James the stag wanted Lily.

Lily blushed, looking at him in surprise. "James," she said slowly.

This only served to encourage the stag. James _loved_ it when Lily whispered his name like that.

Suddenly, James the human returned to his mind, staring at a blushing girl from the stag's eyes. _Oooh this was not good_.

James quickly transformed back into a human, took one mortified look at Lily and fled the Head's Tower.

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"Of all the times for that to happen," James complained, lying on his back on his old bed in the seventh year dorm.

"It's only natural," Remus murmured comfortingly, struggling to hide a smile.

"It's not like it hasn't happened before, Prongs," Sirius added, flashing a grin. Sirius, it appeared to James, seemed to be deeply and darkly amused by the whole incident. "Lily should be flattered."

"Yes, but I've been in human form and wearing robes, Padfoot! It's not half as obvious!"

James was quite sure he had been fortunate that Lily had not castrated him on the spot… something that, considering the circumstances, may have been both easy and appropriate. He was never going to be able to look her in the face again! He desperately wondered what she was thinking, and was greatly apprehensive as to her reaction. He supposed she would tell Art – _of course she would tell Art_ – and then he would have not one but two people coming after him with wands raised… for something that James very much wished he could take back. Lily probably thought he was the most disgusting person in the entire castle after that display, and that was no mean feat when Snivelly's hair was oozing grease several floors below them.

"What did she actually say?" Peter asked, curious. James very much doubted whether Peter had ever, or would ever, experience such embarrassment. Especially because Peter's animagi was a rat. Ruefully, James realised that it all boiled down to the fact that he had chosen a rather large and exceptionally masculine animal to transform into. It was his fifteen-year-old self's fault entirely.

"Nothing," he murmured, hiding his burning face behind a pillow. "She didn't say a thing. She didn't need to." Could his year possibly get any worse?

"Prongs?" Remus called, gently. "James!"

James was miserably busy ignoring him. Currently, he was quite seriously considering moving back into the dorm with his friends. In fact, maybe he could stay in here for the rest of the year? _Moony would certainly be able to supply good notes, and if he was lucky he would only have to emerge for exams…_

"James!" Remus smacked him in the head with his pillow. "You need to go and explain things to Lily. Save face, James. Maybe she will understand. She's not as scary as you think, and she's not as perfect as you think either."

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James decided that there was no better time to test his theory that Hogwarts wasn't as big as it looked. He decided to take the long way back to the Head's Tower, which involved visiting not only the Astronomy Tower and the Divination classroom, but also the very long, dark and winding passages that branched off the Entrance Hall. For good measure, James threw in a few trick staircases and several moving doors. At one point, he decided he might as well race himself to the Head's Tower. If he got there last, he lost. If he arrived first, he lost. So, reasonably, he had nothing to lose. On his way past the Owlery, James considered sending Lily a letter of apology. But that wouldn't do because he would then have to return to his room to find paper and a quill.

James arrived in the fourth floor, eastern corridor much too soon for his liking. Then, struck by sudden inspiration, James remembered that he hadn't been to visit Hagrid in a few weeks… and maybe he had time for a spot of Quidditch on the way home?

"Potter?"

_Bother_. Lily had appeared in the corridor, and was staring at him in surprise.

"The Carved Witch told me you were out here," Lily said. The Carved Witch waved helpfully. "She thought you'd forgotten the password."

James grimaced. Of all the interfering, imposing and nosey fixtures of Hogwarts, the Carved Witch had to be the worst.

"Potter, I think we need to talk," Lily said carefully.

James looked at the floor. His head was throbbing painfully, and his instincts were violently arguing with his conscience.

_Run for it, mate!_ His instincts cried in Sirius' voice, rather sensibly dreading the inevitable shame that James was doomed to suffer.

_Just get it over and done with_, his conscience, which sounded strangely like Remus, advised him calmly.

This made his instincts leap around, which resulted in the throbbing….

_But I can't do either_, said Peter's voice, very indecisively.

Hang on…

James was quite alarmed to hear his friend's voices invading his head. Positive this was not normal, James felt a sudden need to go and visit Madam Pomfrey. Actually… yes, a nice _long_ stay in the Hospital Wing might do him some good, actually… especially if the nurse allowed him to hide behind a partition, like the one she used for Remus after the full moon…

When James looked up again, Lily had vanished, although the Carved Witch was still sitting open. She smiled at him encouragingly. And this made James sure of what he had to do.

Taking a deep, slightly shaken breath, he set one foot in front of the other and made his way inside.

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Much to James' surprise, Lily looked quite composed by the time he had made it down the short hallway and into the common room. There she was, sitting uncertainly on a lounge, a worry line streaked across her brow and her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"What," she asked," was that all about, before?"

He blushed but was determined to meet her eyes. _Maybe Moony had been right_, he hoped desperately.

Unfortunately for Lily, he was giving her that special, terrible look that was apt to make her weak at the knees.

_I have a boyfriend_, Lily reminded herself sternly, then blushed, wondering if she had that effect on Art too. She could not understand how this had happened, and this scared her. Happily for James, Lily was so confused that she hadn't had time to get indignant yet.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he rasped. "It's… well, I was worried you'd be mad, and you're quite scary when that happens."

"No, silly," Lily told him gently. "I meant –" she cleared her throat significantly " – well, _before_."

"Oh," was James' highly intelligent reply.

He took a deep breath, and attempted a painful smile, which eventually looked more like another grimace. James felt the need to take another breath and – _Oh hurry up!_ Remus' voice interjected impatiently. And suddenly, it all tumbled out.

"Well … I… as an animal, your feelings are much more… raw. I mean, well… things are much more simple, and, well, Lily, you _must_ know by now how I feel about you, and normally I can fight it, because I don't want to feel like that about you, but you were _right there_…"

As far as she knew, Lily could not recall having had that effect on Art. Lily wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe they were too young or pure for such things, yet? And James, being James, wasn't. No, of course he wasn't. He was just attracted to Lily for her looks, after all… Wait, _what _had he just said??

"You don't like being attracted to me?" Lily repeated, stunned.

"No!" James yelped. Anxiously, he ran his hands through his hair, wondering how to put what he wanted to say. "No, I mean, yes, I do, I like being attracted to you very much… It's just that I don't want to like you, if you don't want me to. And I know you don't, so I just… ignore it."

Much to James' amazement, Lily's face softened. He looked so confused, and embarrassed, and, well… _cute_. After all, she supposed, the – _er_ – incident… really _hadn't_ been his fault.

"Who knew you were so sweet?" she murmured, stunned. "I – erm – I forgive you, Potter."

She stepped forward and gently kissed his cheek, before stepping away and turning to go. Lily was quite aware that she had just kissed Potter's cheek, and was mildly mortified. The way he was looking at her changed again, all of a sudden, and Lily was now _definitely_ sure she wasn't comfortable with the look in his eyes. Thankfully, she had the perfect escape.

"I've got to meet Art. I'll see you later," she whispered, hurriedly.

With that, Lily Evans subtly hastened out of the still-open Carved Witch, leaving one very stunned, confused James Potter in her wake.

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**Happy Easter everyone!!! Theoretical chocolate eggs for everyone who reviews… because who doesn't love chocolate?!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:****Any ideas, characters or settings related to Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, and I will not even attempt to take credit for them. However, the plot is mine!**

**A/N: Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, it feels so wonderful to have people out there who appreciate what I do :-) and on that note, yes I realize the last few chapters have been a bit L/J. This is because it IS an L/J fic, in addition to a marauders fic. Also, Lily is one of my favourite characters and yes, I like to write about her. But that's beside the point… don't lose faith! Believe me, I haven't forgotten the Marauders, and _everything happens for a reason… _Happy reading! Finally I would like to apologise for this taking so long, but the system was screwing around and it wouldn't let me update! Please review, even just because it's impolite not to! xx - Lexie**

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**Chapter Eight: In which the Slytherins turn geriatric**

"I just don't get it," James complained, running his fingers through his already unruly hair, as James was want to do when he was anxious. "I don't get _her_."

"Lily's just starting to come around, that's all," Remus said calmly, reclining against the cold stone wall and looking as though he'd much rather be elsewhere.

"But where does she get off, kissing me like that?"

"What, on the cheek?" Peter reminded him helpfully.

James scowled. "Details, Wormtail! She's so frustrating-"

"-ly beautiful. We _know_, Prongs. How about you come and help me, and let us know when something actually changes," Sirius said, rather brutally.

James sighed, defeated. He knew the boys were right, and as much as he was reluctant to sound like a broken record, sometimes a guy just has to _vent!_ Obediently, he moved forward and took the funnel from Sirius' hands, leaving his friend free to fish out a rather small vial from his robes. Peter stared at it apprehensively.

"Are you sure that's going to be enough, Padfoot?" he asked doubtfully.

Sirius swept his black fringe from his eyes somberly.

"Wormtail, have I ever failed you before?"

"And you're sure there won't be any side effects?" Remus asked patiently from behind them.

"Are we going to do this or not?" Sirius growled rhetorically, before uncapping the vial and tipping the contents down the funnel.

James watched the opalescent liquid drain into the long, fat, slightly moldy pipe that ran along the passage wall, unable to stop himself from smiling. If this worked… oh, he could not wait to see everyone's faces. Just not Lily's. Maybe he could avoid Lily tomorrow. Because inevitably, Lily would quite correctly deduce_ exactly_ who was responsible for the entire Slytherin house suddenly and miraculously aging beyond their years. She wouldn't care that no one had ever thought of this prank before. She would not stop to consider the masterful skill with which the Marauders had gone to the trouble of spiking the water pipes with the Aging potion. James readjusted his glasses apprehensively, wondering for the first time whether this prank was really worth it. And this troubled him more considerably than anything else. For it seemed apparent that at the age of sixteen and seven months, James Potter had finally developed a conscience.

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"Emmeline Vance requesting entry!" the Carved Witch's voice sung into the Head's tower, starting Lily, who had been dozing on one of the lounges.

"Oh sure, let her in," Lily mumbled, sitting up and running her fingers through her tousled hair.

Emmeline appeared at the end of the hallway, and there was no two ways about it: she looked devastated.

"Benjy Fenwick just asked _Marlene_ out!"

"Oh," Lily murmured, then patted the spot beside her, inwardly sighing. Lily didn't have a lot of patience for adolescent hormones: her relationships may not have been terribly exciting and dramatic, but at least they had been stable.

"But doesn't Marlene like Sirius?" she asked by rote.

"That's what we all thought!" Emmeline sighed deeply. "She came up and asked me if I was OK with it. What was I _supposed to say?_"

"Well why don't you just… start liking Sirius now?" Lily thought this proposition seemed quite reasonable. Emmeline, however, looked repulsed.

"Black?!" she shrieked. "He's my Quidditch captain, Lily, he's a bit of an idiot _plus_ he's never really been interested in dating, to boot."

Lily rolled her eyes, already bored. "Well I just figure at least you_ know_ him, Em. And you two get along."

Emmeline 'harrumphed' from beside her, before shaking her head in pity. "Things are never as simple as you'd like them to be, Lily Evans."

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"I can't wait to see Snivelly all wrinkly," Sirius grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief and anticipation as he eyed the plate of bacon James was currently serving himself from. Remus bit his lip, mildly concerned at the malicious glint in Sirius' eye. But then again, Sirius _always_ had had a malicious glint when it came to Snape, or Slytherins in general. Remus supposed he could put it down to Sirius' family. Nevertheless, Remus was not entirely sure that Snape _didn't_ deserve Sirius' malice, at least occasionally. Besides, the prank, at least this once, seemed to be harmless enough.

Remus shot a look in his friends' direction, and caught Peter and James exchanging a subtle look of similar anticipation before resuming their guise of innocence. These two were willing to ignore that dangerous look in Sirius' eyes… why couldn't he?

It was morning, and breakfast time, and the Marauders were waiting to see their masterwork unveiled.

At that moment, the door burst open and the Slytherins trooped in, a steady flow of elderly witches and wizards, with particularly unpleasant wrinkled faces and sallow, mottled skin. Instead of moving toward their house table, they all lined up before the Teacher's table. The Great Hall was strangely hushed as Professor Dumbledore stood up and moved forward to inspect his elderly students, prodding his wand at various wrinkles, white or balding patches of hair, and in one sad case, what appeared to be a terrible case of arthritis.

"It seems to me," Dumbledore announced quietly, "that these students have been subjected to a particularly fascinating phenomenon – I assume you all showered this morning or last night? Yes? And the age just _washed away_, so to speak, is that correct?"

Suddenly the doors of the Great Hall burst open once more to admit a straggler… A particular straggler whose sight both horrified and amused everyone.

The Marauders took one look at each other before dissolving into howls of laughter. Sirius was laughing so hard that he slipped off his seat and began to roll around on the stone floor.

Severus Snape, looking quite normal, flashed them a confused look before heading nonchalantly toward his empty House table and commencing breakfast.

"That was brilliant!" Sirius gasped.

Peter wringed his hands in agreement, his eyes watering with tears of mirth.

"I always thought he looked unclean," Remus murmured, his mild expression causing Sirius to break off into fresh peels of laughter.

This was rudely interrupted when seventh year Slytherin Quidditch Keeper Jonas Bulstrode caught sight of Snape.

"YOU!" he roared, before hobbling off toward Snape, who was rudely levitated by the collar of his school shirt by Bulstrode's wand. "Professor, he knew not to shower!"

Someone snorted from amongst the Slytherins gathered at the front of the Hall. "He never showers," someone else's strained, fragile voice quipped.

"Did you do this, Severus?" Dumbledore asked Snape sadly.

Snape shook his head vehemently. "No, I didn't, Professor, Sir," he said greasily. "But I know who did-"

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence the only youthful Slytherin. "So do I, I think," he said quietly. "But there is no need to fling mud, Severus. Then you might need to have a shower."

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"Did you find the culprits, Professor?" Lily asked as she and James entered Professor Dumbledore's study.

Dumbledore closed the door, and gave James a piercing look before sweeping around his desk to take a seat, gesturing that they should do the same.

"No, I haven't, Lily," Dumbledore said quietly. "At this moment I am tending to believe the culprit was an accidental leak between the drains in Professor Slughorn's classroom and the pipes for the Slytherin showers."

James suddenly looked away, ashamed. There was no such leak, and at least two of the people seated at the desk knew this very well.

Lily simply frowned and nodded, and James found it impossible to know how she felt on the matter.

"The matter will be resolved shortly," Dumbledore reassured her. "Professor Slughorn is brewing the antidote as we speak. And if that is all, shall we proceed to..?"

James purposely loitered after the meeting, telling Lily he would meet her in the Head's Tower after he visited the Owlery. Once he was sure she had gone, he doubled back and gave the password once again to the gargoyle outside the Headmaster's office.

He found the door was already open, and that Dumbledore was seated on one of the lumpy purple lounges that ran under his window. Dumbledore saw James hovering uncertainly in the doorway.

"I thought you might be back," he greeted him pleasantly. "Take a seat, James."

James walked rather nervously across the room to take a seat beside his Headmaster.

"Sir," he began slowly. "We both know quite well that the drains aren't leaking. It was-"

For the second time that day, Dumbledore held up his hand to silence words he obviously did not want to hear.

"James, I do not want to hear what you wish to tell me. Be comforted that I already know exactly what happened, but any confession on your behalf, or from you on another student's behalf, must result in a punishment that I'm sure I don't want to give. But thank you. I'm glad that you're finally learning some responsibility."

James was very prepared to become indignant at this last remark, but his mouth had once again closed by the time he realized that Dumbledore was right: James, or in fact any of the Marauders, had never once owned up to a prank. He looked at Dumbledore sheepishly, and found that the Headmaster's eyes were twinkling.

"James, do you want to know why I gave you the position of Head Boy?"

"Oh, I'm sure we should call Lily back for this one too, she'd like to know more than I do," James responded dryly, without thinking. Realizing what he had just said, he quickly added, "Sorry Sir."

Dumbledore laughed. "Yes, I'm sure you're right. In all probability, Miss Evans deserves to hear an explanation too. Perhaps you will tell her one day? Anyhow… James, I look at you and see the potential of a truly great wizard. You have the courage, and the talent, and even the leadership to go far. In fact, there is nothing, ability wise, that you lack… except the ability to take responsibility for your actions. I know that you and Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew all share the best intentions in the world, James. But I was correct in assuming that Head Boy would teach you a valuable lesson, was I not?"

James nodded, smiling. "I suppose that I have, sir. Thank you, I think."

"It takes a truly great wizard to accept the consequences of his decisions, James. I will not hesitate to tell you how proud I am of you."

"Thank you, Professor," James reiterated, standing to leave.

"Good night, James," Dumbledore told him kindly. "Oh, and James?"

The Head Boy paused in the doorway and looked back at his Headmaster. "Sir?"

"Don't think that I haven't noticed your pranks are more clever than harmful this year, James. Please don't tell your friends that, I fear it may… inspire them."

Chuckling, James once again bade Dumbledore good night and left, turning thoughts over in his head as he made the trek back to the Tower. Perhaps Dumbledore was right, and that he had changed. But this was a good change, James decided. _Nothing wrong with growing up_.

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**A/N: Hey guys: well, James is growing up - hands up who's proud of him?**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts so please drop me a review! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**:** My name is JKR and I'm a fan fiction author… now hands up if any of u actually believed it? That's what I thought… **

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**Chapter Nine: Halloween (A.K.A. In which the Marauders get in deep over their heads)**

While James may have decided there was nothing wrong with growing up, he also found that there seemed to be nothing wrong with having fun sometimes, too. And this is how he came to the conclusion, on a rainy Monday afternoon, the day before Halloween, that Sirius may have had the right hand of it when he suggested a simple solution to all James' problems with Lily.

"It's really simple," Sirius explained easily, a slow, confident grin stretching across his face.

A deep worry line creased Remus' forehead, and it wasn't because the details of Advanced Self Defense Spells particularly concerned him.

"Nothing is _ever_ simple when it comes to you, Padfoot," he murmured.

James shrugged easily, grinning. "Perhaps not, but Sirius happens to be the second most brilliant student in this place. He can't go too far wrong, can you, Padfoot?"

Sirius scowled. "_Second?"_ he complained, sweeping his fringe out of his eyes.

"Your idea?" James pressed, keen to avoid one of Sirius' ego trips.

"Right," the smile returned. "Well, like I said, its simply a matter of transferring Lily's affections from Scummy to you."

"Brilliant!" Peter clapped energetically as Sirius took a mock bow.

James' frown rivaled Remus'.

"All right," he murmured slowly, mulling it over. "But how?"

"A transference spell, of course," Sirius replied, offended that James hadn't really taken to his idea.

"So it's really just a matter of kidnapping Scummy, and performing the spell?"

Sirius beamed. "Exactly."

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It was Halloween – a fact that did not bode well with Remus. In fact, he couldn't help feeling that attempting something as stupid as this seemed, on Halloween, was _begging_ for trouble. Nevertheless, after the annual Halloween Feast, the Marauders hung back as the rest of the school wandered up the marble staircase, their stomachs full.

Sirius, whose appetite was insatiable, continued to eat as the other boys sat around watching him. James kept flickering his eyes toward his watch, a subtle plea for Sirius to hurry up. He appeared, however, to be in no hurry, and as they trouped out of the Great Hall, James was alarmed to discover that it was already 7.30pm.

Sirius appeared oblivious. Pulling out the Marauder's map, he lit his wand with a muttered _lumos_. It lit his face from below, making him seem even more foreboding.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are!"

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"I feel I need to tell you that I want no part in this. I don't like it one bit," Remus announced warily.

"Then why did you come?" Peter asked, confused.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Well _someone_ needs to keep an eye on you lot."

James shushed them impatiently.

The Marauders were huddled beneath the invisibility cloak, behind the statue that stood along the corridor from the Carved Witch. According to the Map, Art was inside with Lily, and (again according to Sirius) it was _simply_ a matter of waiting for him to come out.

"James," Remus ventured, two hours later. "Maybe you should kick him out?"

Sirius shot Remus a silencing glare. Sirius couldn't understand Remus' apprehension at all. Why, it was Sirius, _Sirius (!)_ who had planned the entire thing. Sirius tossed his hair, making it fan out across his face in (if he did think so himself) a rather handsomely rugged way. Someone coughed, and Sirius turned around to glare at his three friends, who were all trying very hard not to laugh, and as a result were rather red in the face.

James allowed himself to crack a rueful grin as Sirius turned back around. As far as James could remember, Sirius didn't even approve of James' crush on Lily, and yet here they were, cramped beneath the cloak waiting to effectively kill Lily's relationship. Sirius, as always, was full of surprises. James shot Remus a furtive glance. He was looking rather pale again, which couldn't be good. It wasn't the full moon for at least another half a month, which meant that Remus must actually be ill… or rather… James sighed audibly, causing Sirius to shush him again. Peter's wand was casting a soft, opalescent glow over the four boys beneath the cloak. _Well, at least he isn't sick_, James thought, before suggesting that Peter might like to douse the light.

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Lily watched Art talking animatedly from the lounge beside her, and inwardly sighed. _He had been talking for _three_ hours. Three! _No matter how much she tried, she would _never_ be as interested in Quidditch as Art seemed to be – or rather, in _Ravenclaw's_ Quidditch prowess. Being a Gryffindor, Lily was diametrically opposed to appreciating Ravenclaw's Quidditch skill – or, in her opinion, their _lack_ of skill.

And this was probably quite accurate. No matter how much Art boasted about his talent on the broomstick, the sad truth was that Art really wasn't that good, especially if Lily compared him to the Gryffindor team (which she was). James Potter, although it rued Lily to say so, was quite possibly the best flyer Hogwarts had seen in many years, not to mention a great skill with the Quaffle. At least that's what Professor McGonagall had said once. And he was not the only talent. Emmy was a natural on a broomstick herself, and was particularly adept at weaving. Sirius had not only skill on the broomstick but a fantastic eye as a Beater, and a very clever grip at tactics, which is why McGonagall had appointed him as Captain last year. The rest of the team were good, but these three were truly the best, and the best at a level that Art, or for that matter _any_ of the Ravenclaws, could not compete.

Lily was bored out of her brain, to have been thinking about Quidditch.

At that moment, mercifully, the Carved Witch opened to admit one Head Boy. He wandered into the room with a casual air that Lily had to admire. Art had stopped talking the moment that James had entered, and was looking at the tall young man with every sign of great dislike. It was looking like he may have headed straight upstairs, but it seemed that he caught the pleading in her eyes.

"Er – excuse me," James began awkwardly. "Sorry Scamander, but I have important things to discuss with Evans. Head stuff. You understand, of course?"

Art might have spluttered, but thankfully he was more dignified than that. Instead, he allowed himself to peer suspiciously between the two Head Students before scowling.

"I _suppose_ I'll see you later, Lily," Art told her ungraciously, before standing and letting himself out.

Lily turned to James expectantly, and he grinned at her. "You looked like you needed rescuing,' he told her kindly.

Lily looked at him in surprise. "Oh!" she murmured, looking a tad guilty. "Thanks, I guess. There _was_ something you wanted to discuss, though, wasn't there?"

James laughed and shook his head. "No, not really actually!" he paused, and Lily looked at him expectantly. In truth, now his mission to extract Scummy had been completed, James was trying to work out how to make his impending hasty exit less inconspicuous. Suddenly, it hit him.

"-Er, I'm just going to get a book and get back to the library. I'm… studying with Remus."

Lily beamed, and James was relieved to discover that this had been the right answer.

"I'm so glad you're finally taking your study seriously, Potter," she told him warmly. "Now if only you could teach Black to apply himself-"

James headed up to his room, chuckling. "That's wishful thinking!" he called down, and grabbing the closest book (his Potions textbook) James was pleased to hear her laugh in reply.

"Well, Potter, you've inspired me," Lily announced as he made his way back downstairs. "I should get some work done too. Maybe I'll see you in the library in a bit?"

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James emerged from the Carved Witch and looked around quickly for his friends. Peter was waiting by the statue, hands stuffed into his pockets in what appeared to be an imitation of Sirius' casualness.

"What took you so long?" he asked conversationally, frowning as he watched James stash his Potions book behind the statue.

"Had a chat with Lily," he murmured in reply, clapping Peter on the shoulder. "Thanks for waiting, Wormtail."

Peter grinned. "That's ok, Prongs. Sirius stunned Scummy and they put him under the invisibility cloak. Remus was levitating him out, and I thought I'd wait for you, just in case I got in the way."

Peter looked a little sad at his last admonition, and James could not help but feel pity for the stocky boy.

"You, get in the way?" he responded lightly, as they began their way up to the Room of Requirement. "Now whoever gave you that idea surely wasn't serious."

"No," Peter responded glumly. "In fact, it _was_ Sirius."

"Sirius was probably in one of his moods," James told him bracingly, making a mental note to have a chat to his best friend about this. There were times when James became extremely concerned about Peter's self esteem, and this was one of them.

"Sirius is _always_ in a mood," Peter mumbled. "He has been ever since you moved into the Head's Tower."

James didn't really know how to respond to this piece of information, and so they continued to walk in silence. He supposed he _had_, in a way, split up the Marauders when they had never been separated before. Suddenly, James felt terribly guilty, but as they had arrived at the door to the Room of Requirement, he forced this guilt down with a ruffle of his hair.

"Oh good!" Sirius beckoned James forward toward two tables. Scummy was laid out upon one of them, looking very much unconscious.

"You lie on that one," Sirius ordered, efficiently.

"This reminds me a little too much of _Frankenstein_," James muttered darkly before complying. Remus appeared above him, looking sympathetic. "Sorry, Prongs. Padfoot did the walking and thinking. I was levitating Scummy."

"I was just getting into the holiday spirit!" Sirius replied, affronted.

James shrugged, smiling lopsidedly. "Oh well, all serves a purpose, I suppose."

However, as Sirius had just appeared above him, having handed Peter and Remus white lab coats and having already donned his own, James could not shake the ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Remind me what you're doing, again?" he asked weakly.

Sirius cleared his throat. "We are transferring Lily's affections from Scummy to you, Prongs. Are you ready?" he asked in a scarily kind, patronizing voice.

James gulped and nodded.

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"Prongs! Prongs! Wake up, come on, that's right, open your eyes!"

"Hey guys, Scummy's waking up!" Peter's voice sounded, to James much closer.

Rubbing his eyes, he sat up slowly and looked at his gawping friends.

"So, do you think it worked?" he asked conversationally. That is when he noticed both Remus and Sirius were pointing their wands at him.

"What's going on, Moony?" James appealed to his reasonable friend, whose eyes widened in shock.

"How – how do you know my nick name?" Remus breathed, looking like an animal caught in the wand light of a hunter.

James' hand gestured lazily. "Well obviously, _Moony_, you're a werewolf and we all go running about in the forest once a month," he replied briskly.

Sirius nearly dropped his wand in shock. "_Bloody hell_," he moaned, slapping his forehead and approaching James cautiously. "Prongs, is that you?"

James laughed. "Of course it's me, Padfoot. Could you _please_ lower your wands, you're worrying me."

"Perhaps you should be worried – er – Prongs. We need a mirror," Peter murmured. A mirror conveniently appeared in his hand, and he offered it to James tentatively.

James nearly fell off his table. Recovering himself, he turned to Sirius.

"What the hell did you do?!"

Sirius shifted from foot to foot, like a small child who needed to go to the toilet. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, staring at the floor. "Merlin, how do we fix this?"

James suddenly smiled. "How about – we don't? Won't be a moment, lads!"

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"Hello!" James said to the Carved Witch, smiling brightly. "Could you ask Lily to let me in, please?"

The Carved Witch eyed him suspiciously before vanishing to the other side of the door. James could have sworn he heard her mutter something about his cheerfulness. She sounded sarcastic, for a block of wood.

The door opened, and James wandered in easily, to find Lily lying on the lounge studying. She looked up at him brightly. "Hello again!"

And before James knew it, she had stood up and kissed him.

James froze, watching as the Head Girl resettled herself on the lounge and looked at him expectantly. "Anything you wanted?"

James coughed. "No, just to see you," he told her weakly, settling hesitantly down beside her.

Lily smiled again (_this must be a record_, James couldn't help thinking). "That's so sweet," she practically purred. "What's gotten into you?" she asked as an afterthought.

James shifted uncomfortably. "Ummm… I just want to spend time with my girlfriend," he replied warily.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Ok, who are you and what have you done to Art?" she joked. "Really, _what_ has gotten into you?" she repeated, before shifting closer. "Not," Lily continued, "that I mind in the slightest."

And then, much to James' horror, she kissed him again.

James leapt up, dancing away from the couch. "I – I – Ihavetogotomydormitorynow." James stammered, casting one more alarmed look at Lily's hurt expression before hurrying back out of the Head's tower.

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Emmeline, Alice and Isadora were busy studying in the Gryffindor common room when someone appeared above them. Much to their surprise, it was Lily, and she was looking as white as Nearly Headless Nick.

"Are you ok?" Alice asked instantly. Being Alice, she seemed to have a sort of radar that picked up that sort of thing.

Lily shook her head slowly, back and forth, back and forth.

Emmeline stood and slung a comforting arm around her shoulders. "How about we go up to the dorms?"

They settled Lily on her old bed, and surrounded her. Emmeline's hand's massaged her back soothingly, while Alice held her hand.

"He – he _ran away!_" Lily sniffed. She really couldn't understand it. Art had been acting (strangely) sweet and caring, and as she hadn't seen that side of him for quite some time, Lily had only tried to express her appreciation. Or so she explained to the girls.

Emmeline raised her eyebrows. Since when had Art Scamander treated Lily with kindness or affection? In fact, Art struck Emmeline as someone who treated Lily more like a possession or a convenience than anything else. _Not that she'd ever been able to say this to Lily_.

As Lily continued to explain the incident, something began to niggle Emmeline – that, in fact, Art sounded as though he was behaving _just like James Potter._

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Sirius, Peter and Remus were gathered around James' body when the Head Boy returned. Slamming the door, he rested with his back against it and looking, it seemed to the boys, deeply traumatized.

"Went well then?" Sirius asked with false cheerfulness as James made his way back to the table.  
"Disaster," he muttered, lying back down. "Change me back, Padfoot."

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Several hours later, and much to James' alarm, Sirius had been unable to reverse the spell. He sat with his head in his hands, muttering to himself in the corner of the Room, while Peter and Remus sat either side of James on the table, watching over James' inanimate body.

"We had to stun him – you," Remus whispered after a while. "You – he – woke up and _Merlin_ he is insufferable!"

"Except to Lily," James responded dully, not bothering to elaborate. "Are you sure you can't reverse it, Moony?" he repeated.

Remus shrugged, the look in his eyes deeply apologetic. "I don't think I can, Prongs."

"I can't believe it's you!" Peter prodded Art's body, still amazed. "What does it feel like?"

"Obviously no different, since he didn't even notice," Sirius' voice responded dully from his corner.

James slid off the table and approached him, crouching down beside his friend.

"This isn't your fault," he murmured bracingly. Sirius simply scoffed.

Peter cleared his throat, and they turned to look at him expectantly. "This might seem like a stupid idea," he began hesitantly. "But have you considered trying to end the spell?"

There was silence as the other three boys considered it. Suddenly Remus smiled, cuffing Peter gently over the head. "Brilliant, Wormtail," he murmured, looking questioningly to the other two boys. "I think it just might work."

Sirius stood up slowly, and a hesitant smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. "Perhaps," he agreed. "Go on Prongs, back to the table."

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"James? James, are you in there?"

James blinked and opened his eyes slowly – and realised that quite to his alarm, he couldn't see properly. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, but this still did not seem to fix his sight.

"Well, am I back?" he asked anxiously.

Sirius, Remus and Peter exchanged looks of amusement as Peter slid James' glasses back onto his nose. "Apparently so," Sirius murmured in his dry way.

James grinned. "Awesome."

Sirius helped him to stand. "I'm so sorry, Prongs," he murmured, patting his shoulder awkwardly.

James gave him a nod of understanding. "It's all right, Paddy. Just think - if it wasn't for the brilliance of Wormy here-" Peter beamed. "Anyway, let's just forget it ever happened."

"One problem," Remus murmured, gesturing to Art. "What do we do with _that_?"

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"Madam Pomfrey!" James yelled, sprinting into the Hospital Wing with an unconscious Art Scamander levitating in front of him. The nurse took one look at the floating young man and gestured that James set him on a bed. "I… I found him in… in a broom cupboard," James panted.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, and shook her head sadly. "Hogwarts these days… well thank you, Mr. Potter, your prompt reaction may have saved this poor young man from the worst of… well, whatever it is."

James nodded, clutching his chest exhaustedly. After declining her offer of a pepper-up potion, the nurse dismissed him kindly.

The Marauders were waiting in the seventh year dorm, and each startled as James entered, grinning.

"It worked, then?" Remus asked hopefully.

James nodded confirmation. "Hook, line and sinker."

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James was leaving via the boy's staircase when he ran into Emmeline levitating a sleeping Lily down into the Gryffindor Common Room. Emmeline sighed with relief when she saw James, who walked over to them, looking concerned.

"Thank Merlin, I thought I'd have to get her back somehow. Poor thing's had a bit of a rough night," Emmeline confided. "You couldn't take her back with you, could you?"

James nodded, biting his lip and trying to push away the guilty feeling that was once again rising in his stomach. "Of course," he replied softly, picking Lily out of the air and settling her in his arms. "I'll see her to bed. Good night, Em."

Emmeline watched James carry Lily out of the common room wistfully, before turning to ascend the girl's staircase, shaking her head.

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"How're you feeling this morning?" Remus asked as James joined the boys at their usual spot in the Great Hall the next morning.

Helping himself to bacon and eggs, James grinned. "Good as new," he reassured them.

Sirius looked relieved. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but at that moment, the owls arrived with the morning post. A large, tawny owl landed in front of Remus with the Daily Prophet, as it did every morning. Remus gave the bird a slice of toast and paid it, watching it soar back off with a slight smile on his face. "It's nice to have _some_ regularity," he murmured appreciatively, unrolling his paper.

James nodded happily, glancing at Sirius beside him for agreement. But Sirius didn't seem to be paying much attention. He was staring at the regal grey owl before him with an expression of great apprehension.

"You ok, Padfoot?" James prodded him, concerned.

"Get out of it," Sirius muttered, his heart not in it, as he reluctantly freed the letter from the owl's leg. Before flying off, it pecked his finger quite viciously.

Slowly, with great trepidation, Sirius opened the letter. The boys watched him closely, mildly alarmed at his hesitancy; who was this boy and what had he done to the cynic they all knew and loved?

Sirius' face became suddenly impassive: he closed over completely; shuttering his dark eyes and stretching his long, narrow mouth. Another thing – he had gone awfully, awfully pale.

"Padfoot, are you-"

Sirius stood up abruptly and walked briskly out of the hall. At this point, it was not only the Marauders who noticed Sirius' odd behaviour. In fact, the entire Great Hall seemed to have paused in their breakfasting to stare at Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain as he made his hasty exit. Searching the crowd of faces, James noted that even Lily's lips were pursed in concern. James turned to gaze at Remus, amazed. The werewolf mirrored his look. Only Peter seemed mildly unaffected. Still munching on his toast, he managed to murmur:

"Now what was that all about?"

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**A/N****: What indeed? I think that could be classified as my first ever cliffhanger – exciting! Out of interest, what do you think the letter says? On another note, I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THE SIRIUS PUN. I feel like I've just committed one of the carnal sins of fan fiction. It was completely accidental, and then I was horrified to find it while I was editing. However, because it was accidental, I'm leaving it – but don't shoot me, because I myself am 'over' those puns and I know how you feel. SO SORRY! Please leave a review, even if it IS a flame (I know I probably deserve a few for that one) I have four assessments coming up so i wont be able to update for a while. however, the more reviews you leave, the faster i will update! **

**One final thought. I have had over 2200 hits on my story, and I'd like to thank you all for taking time out to read it! xx - Lexie**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:**** We all know I'm not JKR. I'm just a poor university student, who coincidently is studying law: so I can tell you, possessing (as I do) quite a bit of knowledge on this subject, that it is not worth the time, money or effort that it would take to sue me. Look, I've disclaimed!!!**

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**Chapter Ten: In which Sirius makes an alarming discovery**

Sirius Black ruffled his shaggy hair with frustration; his dark eyes glittered with suppressed emotion. The Carved Witch mounted on the wall beside him regarded the teenager curiously, finding him more than a little reminiscent of the Head Boy.

"I'm sorry, but the Head students are not currently here," she told him helpfully.

Sirius groaned. All he wanted was a quiet heart-to-heart with his best mate, but apparently this was too much to ask. Sirius began to pace the corridor impatiently. All this had started with that _stupid_ letter. Sirius' finger throbbed painfully. And that _bloody owl had bitten him, too_.

Sirius had never liked his father's owl: Maleficent had a cruel streak.

He had even had his speech ready. He was going to sit James down, and first and foremost swear his allegiance to the Marauders, always and forever, over and above his Black family ties. He was going to reassure him that he was still the same old Padfoot that had helped defend James from Snape in the first year.

And _then_ he was going to-

"H… _hello_, Sirius."

Jolted out of his thoughts, and rather rudely too, Sirius turned abruptly to come face to face with a Ravenclaw girl. And _Merlin_, the girl was positively simpering. Sirius cast her an irritated look. He really didn't feel like dealing with a simpering sixth year right now, thanks.

"Rita Skeeter," she told him self importantly, sticking out a hand for him to shake.

Sirius ignored it.

"Are you waiting for the Head Boy?"

Sirius turned away, clearly disinterested with a conversation. He knew he recognized the girl from somewhere. She had long, artifically wavy and badly dyed orange hair, and green-rimmed glasses. Her uniform was in immaculate condition and…

Sirius stopped in horror, and turned to regard the girl's scarf. There was only _one _witch Sirius knew who was practical enough to wear her scarf like _that_. Sirius eyed her suspiciously, and all of a sudden something added up. Turning away again, very quickly, he mentally assessed the evidence, suppressing a very strong urge to kick the wall. The girl was trying to imitate _Lily_, for Merlin's sake! While Sirius, on principle, had no objection to James' ladylove, other than the fact that she made him miserable, Sirius was fairly certain that one Lily was quite enough.

Sirius turned back once again to frown at her. He squinted, trying to pick up any sort of discernibly individual features. It was then that he noticed that not only were her glasses green: they were bejeweled.

Sirius inwardly groaned. He had had many run-ins with this girl. Not that this seemed to be at all surprising: anybody who felt that spectacles rimmed with jade and emeralds (probably fakes, too, he concluded nastily) were attractive was sorely mistaken. Usually, this Skeeter had mousey brown, dead straight hair. She really wasn't anything special, in Sirius' opinion anyway. And now she had gone and transformed herself into a mini-Lily… Sirius grimaced, knowing instinctively that something stunk, and badly.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked wearily, rubbing his forehead.

Rita beamed. "Well I'm _not telling you that, am I?" _she asked rhetorically. She was smiling smugly, cradling what looked to be a scrapbook in her arms. That is, until Sirius moved slightly, enough to notice the big, messy _Evidence_ scrawled across the scrapbook's cover. Sirius' traitor mind became instantly intrigued, imagining what was in there. He battled to maintain his disdainful disinterest.

"I'm actually waiting for the Head Girl to come out-"

"She's not in at the moment, please return later!" The Carved Witch interrupted helpfully.

Sirius smirked. "That's right, _er_… Rhonda, is it? Lily's not here so I guess you'll have to come back later-" _and leave me alone_.

Much to Sirius' dismay, Rita appeared to have other ideas. She sat down on the cold, stone-flagged floor and arranged her skirt around her knees (again, a little habit that was creepily Lily-like).

"Rita, you can't wait here," he found himself asserting, quite firmly.

She blinked up at him stubbornly. "I have just as much right to wait here as you do, Sirius Black."

And that was when Sirius knew his suspicions had just been confirmed; that Rita Skeeter must be up to something. Usually, the needy girl would jump at a single word from anybody "cool" enough to notice her. And, Sirius thought grimly, if _he_ wasn't cool enough to kick her out of the corridor, no one was.

In no mood to argue, Sirius pulled out his wand…

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Rita hurried off, rather quickly, the scrapbook clutched in her arms. _How dare that boy threaten her! Of all the nerve_!

Rita scowled, loosening her ridiculously arranged scarf. She really couldn't understand why Lily felt the need to double her scarf over and thread it so absurdly! But, then again, if Lily felt the need to do this, it must be worthwhile – _right_?

Not that Lily Evans, Head Girl extraordinaire, girlfriend of the most popular boy in the school and long-time keeper of one of the famous Marauder's affections, had ever noticed Rita. _But all that_, Rita reminded herself smugly_, was about to change. Just wait till Lily sees this_…

It was no secret that Rita idolized Lily. She was everything that Rita wanted to be: kind, funny and smart – probably the brightest witch in her year. Rita liked to think of herself as the Lily of her own year, but everyone knew that this was a little delusional. _Surely_ Rita could see that she would never make Head Girl – right?

Rita sat alone at meals. _Because I have so many friends I don't want to have to chose just a few to join_, was her own explanation. But really, truly and honestly, Rita Skeeter was a school-girl in denial. She yearned for nothing more than the devoted attention of a boy, and to have a friend like Lily. Rita wanted to be the girl that everyone turned to in an emergency: the girl who was told everyone's secrets. Unfortunately, no one seemed to trust her, which Rita found most strange. But she'd show them all. She was long-due for a good chat to the Head Girl, and when Lily was crying on _her_ shoulder – well, she'd show them all!

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Sirius watched Rita's speedy retreat, feeling frustrated. His own personal problems forgotten, he ruefully admitted to himself that he couldn't help but be intrigued by that _girl_'s suspicious behaviour.

And that was it, for Sirius Black. He had, after all, always been the impulsive sort.

Sirius set off down the corridor, casting a very simple muffling spell on his footsteps, and sticking to the shadows along the walls. The many portraits eyed him curiously as he proceeded to trail Rita's bouncing, fake-red hair through the school.

Half an hour later, Sirius was whole-heartedly regretting his decision to follow her. Luckily, Rita and her absurd hair appeared to be so focused on her scheming that she didn't bother to look around much. Not that there hadn't been a few close calls. Like, for instance, Peeves, who had somewhat of a radar when it came to the Marauders. Remus had always suspected that Peeves gained some sort of perverse pleasure in aiding their pranks, and Sirius was forced to acknowledge the strength of truth and observation behind his friend's words.

So, when Peeves had spotted Sirius sneaking along a corridor, he had wafted quickly over to join him, his face lighting up.

"_Go away_," Sirius hissed frantically, darting behind a suit of armour.

Peeves pouted. His transparent eyebrows knitted together. "No fun for me _today_, have you, bloody Marauders…"

"Peeves, listen very carefully. In all likeliness I'll be in the trophy room tonight. Come find me then – just _please_ go away?"

That ought to do the trick, Sirius hoped. And surely enough, Peeves appeared to be considering the proposition quite carefully. Suddenly, he nodded, surprisingly serious. Then, as a final (and rather rude) fairwell, he left, traveling through Sirius' body as if he had never been there. Sirius shivered, his skin tingling at the unpleasant sensation, and watched Peeves drift away, oddly depressed.

_The lows he was sinking to, pleading with a poltergeist indeed!_

Thankfully, it didn't take him too long to relocate Rita. The Marauder's Map would have been awfully useful, he thought ruefully, but it was hidden away with James' invisibility cloak. Anyway, they were getting to a very remote part of the school now. In fact, the only reason any student would venture over here would be – _The Astronomy Tower_. And, sure enough, there was the end of Rita's black cloak, disappearing up the dusty stone stairs.

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"Pssst!"

James was lying on his bed, Quidditch Through the Ages propped up on his chest, when his mirror hissed at him. James sat up very quickly, and the little, well loved volume slid down off his chest and onto the floor, where it stood on the sides of its cover, looking quite exhausted. James grabbed the small, speaking hand mirror.

"Sirius!" he breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you all right, mate?"

It had been several hours since Sirius had stormed out of breakfast, and James had been growing increasingly concerned. _Surely_ he would have shown up to explain what was going on by now? But then – well, a call in the mirror was better than nothing, James supposed, regarding Sirius searchingly.

A shadow passed across the boy-in-the-mirror's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and Sirius shrugged. "I'll tell you later," he murmured non-committally, voice grim. "I think you might want to get up here though. Bring the cloak and the map. First landing to the Astronomy Tower."

All of this information was communicated in scarce seconds in a harsh, forced whisper. And then, as suddenly as Sirius had appeared, he vanished, and James was left blinking in a mystified way at his own reflection.

Quickly, James gathered up the prescribed items, and without another thought he descended the stairs, accidentally ignored a reading Lily (who had propped herself up on the lounge to regard him curiously) and hurried out of the tower, a determined look etched across his face. _After all, Sirius had made whatever he was doing sound important._

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Lily watched James disappear out of the Head's Tower, torn between curiosity and a persistent hunch that something strange was going on.

_What was wrong with the Marauders today_? They were scurrying here, there, all over the place, really. Except that they all seemed as bewildered and confused as the rest of the school felt, watching them. And this, Lily appreciated, was a rare thing indeed. It was _highly_ unusual for a Marauder to look uncertain about… well, anything. Except for Peter - and James, when he had asked her out for the last time last year. He _certainly _hadn't looked so confident then…

Lily pushed this thought aside, feeling mildly guilty. The look on his face when she had told him about Art... well, it had more or less haunted her, like a guilty spectre, for quite some months. After all, it wasn't at all like James Potter to look defeated.

Lily sighed, settling back down onto the lounge. It had not escaped her attention, not by a long way, that she had been thinking an awful lot about the Head Boy recently. And Lily was still out as to whether this was a good development. She shook her head, to clear her thoughts.

_Come on, now, Lily_, she chided herself. _Concentrate!_

And so, obediently, she reopened her book, and in her typically studious style, Lily re-immersed herself in _Charms: Advanced Level Magic for the Modern Witch and Wizard._

She smiled to herself. Now _Charms…_ Charms was something Lily could rely on.

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Lily very much underestimated James' reliability – as far as Sirius Black was concerned, anyway, as he greeted his friend quietly, minutes later. James made it to the Astronomy Tower in much better time than Sirius had: after all, not handed the burden of following someone, James was able to take all the shortcuts and arrive within ten minutes.

Sirius was crouched on the first landing, frowning. Seeing this, James suppressed his confused smile, in favour of a similarly appropriate frown.

"Something strange is going on," was all the explanation that his best mate seemed to be offering. James nodded shortly, and instead sought explanation from Sirius himself. What he found didn't appear to be too promising. Sirius' dark eyes were not glittering with excitement; his mouth was not quirked upwards in that sardonic way he had. Really, Sirius was being most unhelpful, and unusually hard to read.

Then, struck with sudden inspiration, James pulled out the Marauder's Map.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he muttered, tapping the map resolutely.

James loved watching the Map come to life. It unfurled in his hands, tiny lines running this way and that, intersecting, joining… and there was Hogwarts, laid out before them.

Conspiratorially, James and Sirius leant over the map, staring hard at the Astronomy Tower.

Much as Sirius had expected, they were not alone. James, however, nearly fell over.

His face echoed his surprise as his eyes slid from the dots belonging to him and Sirius, to the dot labeled Rita Skeeter…. And then, to the dots labeled Artemis Scamander and _Felicity Faust._

James swore so fluently that Sirius almost laughed. But laughing, of course, would have given them away. Not that James cared. He continued to gaze in despair at the map, watching what appeared to be Art and Felicity's dots… well… _merging_. The boys politely averted their eyes, looking at each other instead. James appeared to be truly miserable, and Sirius instantly regretted calling him.

_On the other hand,_ he reasoned, _this might finally be the ammunition Prongs needs to win Lily…_

However, this seemed like an unlikely prospect, to James at least.

"I really didn't need to know that," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair, as he was wont to do when anxious.

James had no idea how he was going to face Lily, _that_ was for sure. James felt Sirius pat him awkwardly on the shoulder, and while it didn't really improve the situation in any way, there was comfort in having the solidarity of his best mate. Suddenly, though, Sirius' hand froze mid-sympathy-pat.

"Hold it," he hissed, remembering something crucial. Really, it was the whole reason they had been dragged into what only could be described as a mess. "What the hell is Skeeter doing up there?"

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"_Easy_, Padfoot," James hissed under his breath.

Sirius and James were stuffed beneath the Invisibility cloak, struggling up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. James was being particularly pedantic, and was consistently readjusting the cloak to make sure that not even a scrap of sandshoe was visible.

Sirius, on the other hand, just wanted to reach the top of the stairs.

Frustrated, James grabbed the back of his best friend's cloak in an effort to rein him in.

Sirius wobbled, shooting a scorching glare backward.

Then, the worst imaginable thing happened: Sirius _wobbled_.

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James picked himself up gingerly at the bottom of the staircase, and attempted to knead the niggling pain out of his right shoulder. His body felt battered, and his eyes… Ah, no glasses… no wonder he couldn't see!

His glasses had snapped in the tumble – James could recall the sound of them breaking now.

Sirius eyed him guiltily. Having landed on top of James, he was in a considerably better state than his ruffled, rumpled, and undoubtedly bruised friend. The only thing Sirius had bruised was his ego. Picking up the broken glasses from the stone floor, he muttered a quick '_reparo!_' and set them back on his friend's face with an apologetic look. James glared.

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"_No way_."

Expelling their gasps as slowly and quietly as possible, the two friends exchanged incredulous looks, which seemed to confirm the odd spectacle before them.

Having finally made it, mercifully undetected, to the second and highest landing of the Astronomy Tower staircase, James and Sirius had stopped in shock. Thankfully, due to their current state of invisibility, Rita Skeeter did not notice their appalled expressions - although, in all likeliness she wouldn't have noticed them anyway. The girl sat by the doorway to the astronomy tower, peering inside. She was evidently enthralled, staring through the tiny opening in the doorway with such avid attention that James felt sick. Beside her on the ground, a long roll of parchment was spread, and what looked to be a Quick Quotes Quill was scrawling excitedly across the scroll's surface. Clutched in Rita's very excited grip was a camera.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at James – _well, do you want to do the honours, or should I?_

James shrugged, unconcerned, and without much further ado, Sirius raised his wand and stunned their victim. James caught her before she hit the ground.

Flinging aside the invisibility cloak, the boys gently set their Stunned hostage on the floor, and peered inside the room. James quickly looked away, horrified. It was _much_ worse than they had originally suspected. A look from Sirius made it evident that he concurred: from the disgusted but rather delicate wrinkling of his nose, James could tell his best friend had seen _way_ too much skin for his liking.

"Scummy with his pants down," Sirius muttered darkly, as if his darkest nightmare had been revealed. Not one to lack a sense of irony, he added, "Now who on earth was expecting _that_ one?"

James rubbed his forehead tiredly. "What are we going to do, Padfoot?"

"Very simple, Prongs. We get Lily up here, and show her-"

James froze. _How on Earth did Sirius expect to pull that one off? _James supposed they'd have to kidnap her, and bring her up here, and… and _break her heart._ James' face visibly fell (if it was possible for it to fall anymore, that is).

James was shaking his head, looking both noble and resolute. "No. She doesn't need to know," he decided firmly. "Lily's had enough to deal with at the moment, without _this_ getting around. It's not fair to her, Sirius."

Sirius gazed at James in shock, and noticed for the first time the absence of the famous mischievous sparkle in James' hazel eyes. Sirius frowned, tapping his chiseled nose. He had known, of course, that being Head Boy would inevitably change his friend, but to such an extent he had not expected.

_Who was this mature young man and what had he done to the juvenile Marauder everyone knew, admired and loved?_

Growing up was much too messy, Sirius Black decided. He sighed, reluctantly, before nodding.

"All right. You know best, I suppose."

With a further flick of his wand, he murmured '_Mobilicorpus_' and the unconscious Rita was pulled into a standing position, hovering in the air like a life-sized marionette, her arms and legs both erect and limp, as if dangling from invisible strings. Managing a ghost of a grin at the comical, puppet-like girl dangling before him, Sirius set off down the stairs: a strange procession, if James had ever seen one.

Biting his lip, James gently closed the Astronomy Door. With the sound of the door closing (ever so gently) the Quick Quotes Quill dropped idle to the parchment. Curiosity got the better of James, and he bent down to examine it. His eyes scanned the page quickly, his mouth drawing a tight, taught line across his mouth.

"_But what about Lily?" the girl protested weakly. _

_The look on her face told a different story:_

_one of deep attraction and seduction._

_There was a fire in her eyes, and that fire burned for him, _

_and him alone._

"_She doesn't mean a thing," he replied resolutely, _

_sweeping her into his embrace. "You're the one I love, Felicity. Truly."_

_She bit her lip, and suddenly, it was as if all doubts had been expelled from_

_her body. She smiled at him, and he watched her, enchanted,_

_as if seeing her for the first time._

"_You're so beautiful," he whispered softly, light fingers brushing her face_

_in an unprecedented show of tenderness._

_Felicity visibly melted, her eyes shining as he bent forward over her,_

_possessing himself of her cheeks and kissing her soft, firm mouth_…

James shuddered, traumatized, and quickly rolled the parchment up. It reminded him, strongly and repulsively, of one of his mother's silly romances. Except that his mother's silly romances had at least featured noble, generous men and humble, beautiful heroines - nothing like this clichéd Scamander trash. And how, James wondered, had Rita documented it? Revulsion returned as he considered the possibility of her sitting alone on that landing, peering into the doorway and dictating the entire thing. _No, surely not_?

James shook his head ruefully. _As if today couldn't get any better_.

Having discovered an unpleasant surprise with the parchment meant James was even more reluctant to examine what appeared to be titled _Rita's Book of Evidence_. Still, if he was going to protect Lily from this hideous mess, he'd best know what he was in for… James picked up the book delicately, and peeled open the first few pages. And then the next few, and the few after that… He snapped it shut with disbelief, and the sound from inside the Tower faltered momentarily. Hastily remembering that he was not alone, James flung the cloak back around himself, disappearing from sight. A hand shot out of thin air, speedily gathered up the parchment, book and camera, and vanished again, light footsteps hurrying down the stairs in pursuit of Sirius.

As he negotiated the school, doing his best to dodge the stray students he happened across every now and then, James' mind wandered back to the monstrous book clasped in his hands, His head throbbed with anger at the extent of Art's betrayal. The moving array of images, supplemented with what appeared to be flowery transcripts of every single event, depicted in great and terrible detail Art's wooing of (from what James had seen) at least seven other girls since the 6th of October last year: otherwise known as the great and terrible day that Lily Evans had become Art Scamander's girlfriend.

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The door of the Room of Requirement opened, and Sirius looked up.

"Where have you been?" he asked briskly. "It took me a while to imagine up this room, and then you didn't come back, so… I think we should probably re-enervate her before she goes loopy."

He gestured to the slumped figure on a lounge across the room.

James' mouth was drawn tight, and he thrust the book into Sirius hands. "I think you'd better see this one, first."

Sirius' eyes widened increasingly as he progressed further and further through the book. The movement of pages was like a persistent slashing at the silence that permeated the room.

Finally, Sirius closed the back cover, and removed the book from his vicinity gingerly, and with great distain.

"Well," was all he said. He made an effort to sound businesslike, but James seemed unaffected. He stared at Rita, a frown line cut across his forehead, as if she was the most loathsome creature on the planet.

Then, suddenly, James seemed to remember something.

"Before I forget – what was that letter about?" he asked casually.

Sirius choked, and James stared at him. Once again, Sirius' handsome face had paled dramatically. Coughing, he mumbled something into his jacket.

James frowned. He could have sworn it was something about Uncle Alfalfa dying? But why did Sirius care?

His attitude had always been _the less Blacks in the world, the better for us all_… James really couldn't understand it. Shaking his head, he set it from his mind. Padfoot would obviously talk about it when he was ready to. And for now, there were much more pressing matters. Like _what on earth were they going to do with Rita_?

James stood up. One thing was sure: they needed Remus and Peter, and they needed them _now._

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**A/N:**** Hello everyone, thanks for the fantastic reviews! Especially anyone who spots and lets me know of any editorial mistakes: because no one is perfect, right? **

**I've decided I like cliff-hangers :-D so expect more of them! On that note – haha! What on earth will the boys do now? I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**I have yet more assignments coming up, so you might get an installment next week if you're lucky! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update!**

**In the mean time, you might like to check out some of my other fics, explore my new community (The Reviews Lounge) or visit the forum attached to my community… I'd love to see you there! It's all aimed at a worthy cause (promoting wonderful stories that are sadly under-reviewed) so go check it out and support the review revolution! **

**Thanks again for reading, peace out xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:**** This story in no takes credit for the creations of Ms Rowlings' impressive imagination . I borrow her ideas in order to create non-profit stories for my own pleasure (and hopefully others') so don't sue, enjoy!**

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**Chapter Eleven: In which Rita is educated**

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that her scarf appeared to be strangling her. Letting out a low growl of frustration, she loosened it.

_The things she would do for approval…_

Rita Skeeter sat up, and slid her slightly skewed glasses back up her nose. Blinking, she took a cursory look around the room. Usually, Rita was very suspicious about sleeping where anybody could get to her. It was almost as if she asked for the pranks, for the sniggering and malicious intention.

_Well, actually, the more she thought about it…. She _did.

Rita blinked, suddenly realising that she had awoken in an unfamiliar room. The air was distinctly chilly, and she huddled on the lounge, drawing her robes closer in a futile attempt to gather warmth.

Next, using her fantastic and finely honed powers of observation, Rita noticed that she was not, as she had suspected, the sole occupant of this cold, foreboding room.

James Potter and Sirius Black leant against a table across the other side of the chamber, regarding her suspiciously.

_Which really was a bit rich considering they were the ones who had kidnapped _her…

Noticing that James and Sirius were without the other Marauders, irrational hope flared within Rita's heart. Maybe, if she was lucky, that Lupin boy who was always so pale had gone to find Lily, to bring her back here… Maybe, if she was lucky, the Marauders wouldn't steal her thunder after all?

After all that work hiding and spying on Scamander for months on end, Rita felt it was the least she deserved.

James, however, was of the opinion that Rita Skeeter deserved to have her filthy secrets burnt, and her camera and quill confiscated. As Head Boy he was quite entitled to do this, too: so long as he filed a report explaining his reasons, that is. A report that Lily, as Head Girl, would readily have access to.

_Well_, James sighed. _It had been a nice idea_…

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Sirius watched the girl on the lounge sit up, his mouth twisted into some semblance of disgust. Had Sirius been a less-attractive boy, it would have been an ugly look. James' knuckles, he noticed, were clenching on the table for support. Rita watched them for a moment, looking (Sirius felt) strangely hopeful, before she tried to stand up.

For the second time that day, Rita Skeeter found herself at Sirius Black's wand point.

"Sit," he snarled, looking very much intimidating.

James came to stand by him, and rested a soothing hand on his shoulder. Then, crouching down, he addressed Rita with a quiet tone – he would have seemed almost gentle, had his eyes been not so hard.

"Why would you do that to Lily?"

Rita blinked. "Do what to Lily?" she asked sweetly.

Sirius felt the insane need to punch something. Luckily for Rita, Sirius wasn't all inclined to hit a girl, although it was a close call.

Suddenly, the door to the Room of Requirement opened, and all three occupants startled. For a wild moment, James feared that Lily had discovered them – _what would he tell her?_

"We brought supplies!" Peter announced happily, entering the room with food piled in his arms. Remus followed in procession, setting his load down on the table that had appeared helpfully by the doorway. "What's up?" he asked briskly.

James and Sirius stepped aside silently to reveal their captive. Remus raised his eyebrows, able to appreciate the absurdness of this situation. "You kidnapped _Rita Skeeter_?"

Peter, who was bent over the table, helping himself to a muffin, chuckled. "Why on earth would any one want to kidnap that-"

Sirius coughed, hiding a smile.

James stood and crossed his arms, eyebrows raised sardonically as he watched Sirius' attempt to subtly gravitate toward the table of food. Needless to say, he was not impressed. It was typical of the Marauders to not take things so seriously… but honestly! Catering for an interrogation like they were having a party was just ridiculous. Did no one take anything seriously anymore?

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Once the food had been sorted, Remus wandered over to James, who was seated rather dejectedly on a tabletop across the room. Gently, he untangled James' hands from his twisted robes.

"Now are you going to tell me exactly what's going on?" Remus asked kindly, mildly surprised to find his normally self-assured friend so anxious. Wordlessly, James pointed a single finger toward a large, square shaped book resting on the far end of his table.

It seemed like an age before James heard the book close gently. Remus cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Well," he murmured. "I think that I for one am having nightmares tonight."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, earning himself three separate sets of glares: one each from Remus, James, and surprisingly, Rita.

"What are we going to do, Prongs?" Remus persisted gently. "Its your call."

James shrugged. "I don't know," he muttered, scowling at Rita as if this entire mess was all her fault.

And, credit where credit is due, Rita Skeeter _was_ partially responsible for the disaster. But Remus didn't think it was fair that she was held responsible for Art, too.

"We destroy the scrapbook," Peter suggested suddenly, looking hopefully between the faces of his friends.

"That doesn't just make the problem go away, Wormtail," Remus explained gently.

Sirius shrugged. "I personally don't see what you have to lose in telling her, Prongs," he reasoned. "She breaks up with Art, you woo her and BANG – she's your girlfriend. Simple."

James' hand flew toward his wand pocket before he thought better. Freezing, he chose instead to redirect his scowl.

"Simple? Yeah, you know what I feel like doing today, Paddy? Breaking Lily's heart. Let's just cut it out, jump on it for a while, and see how much she loves me then. _Simple_? Oh Lily, I love to so much that I just can't wait to make you _miserable._ Yeah. That sounds about right, doesn't it?"

Sirius swallowed. All three boys knew very well that James Potter was rarely sarcastic – and when he was, they knew something was wrong.

Remus sighed, resting a hand warningly on James' arm. "All right. We won't tell her. But lets just – put our heads together. There has to be something we _can_ do, right?"

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"Checkmate!"

Lily grinned, taking a triumphant final swig from her bottle of butterbeer. Em rolled her eyes.

"I don't even know why I bother to play with you, Lily Evans. I should know better. _Every single game_?!"

Lily shrugged, grin still plastered across her face. "Sorry Em," she laughed, not appearing to be sorry in the least.

Emmeline smiled good naturedly. "I'm sure you are, Lils. But that's enough for me. A girl can only take so many losses. Fancy a walk?"

Lily stretched luxuriously. "Why not? I have to return a book to the library anyway," she murmured, casting a cursory look around the Gryffindor Common Room.

Lily and Emmeline were busy enjoying their free Wednesday afternoon, whilst the rest of the school was in class. It was, Lily felt, one of the biggest perks of seventh year.

Speaking of seventh year… The Marauders hadn't been in Charms or Potions that morning. This in itself wasn't a rare occurrence; it was more that the Marauders had continued to flaunt their absence during the free lessons in which, more often than not, they persisted in incessantly pestering Emmeline and herself.

Probably tired from the Halloween dinner last night, Lily concluded, conveniently forgetting that James had not returned to the Heads Tower last night.

Smiling lazily, she raised herself with great effort from the armchair. Then, together with Emmeline, she left the Gryffindor Common room for her own Heads Tower. Retrieving her library book, the Head Girl again failed to observe that the Marauders had not invaded _that_ Tower. Quite frankly, a Marauder-free day meant a drama-free day, and Lily was quite satisfied with that.

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"Fancy a trip to the kitchens, sweet heart?"

Petria Diggory looked up, startled, at the tall, blonde boy who leant casually over her study carrel. Sweeping his hair out of his enchantingly blue eyes, Art Scamander smiled charmingly, and tucked a lock of (in her opinion, muddy brown) hair behind Petria's ear.

"Me?" she asked, extremely surprised and secretly appalled.

Art rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "No, the other gorgeous little brunette I have sitting before me," he laughed, displaying his very white teeth.

Petria narrowed her eyes. As charming as Art appeared to be…

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" she countered suspiciously.

Art shrugged. "Not here now, is she?" he replied easily, before leaning even closer. "No," he murmured softly. "She doesn't matter, Petria. The only people who matter are you," he stroked her cheek gently, "and me."

Petria slapped his hand away, standing up abruptly and backing away. "Don't you dare touch me again, Scamander," she warned, eyes glittering fiercely. "You have a girlfriend – and Lily is a _wonderful_ girl at that. I'm a prefect, you know. I see her a lot. She doesn't deserve such a scumbag."

And with one final look of disgust, Petria packed up her things and left the library, head held high.

Art scowled, easing himself into Petria's vacated seat.

_Well that could have gone better,_ he sighed. _He'd have to chase her now; flatter her, and the effort tired him so_…

"Art!"

A terribly familiar voice invaded his thoughts, and before he knew it, the aforementioned girlfriend – _or, _as Art liked to think of her, _ball-and-chain_ – swooped down on him and kissed his cheek.

"Fancy running into you here!" Lily smiled, already entwining her fingers in his hair.

_Not those bloody fingers…._ There was nothing worse, in Art's opinion, than Lily messing up his hair.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded gruffly. He was grumpy, and he didn't care who knew it.

With an obligatory glance upwards, he looked at his girlfriend for the first time, and had to remind himself not to wince. Her hair was out, again. Art _hated_ Lily's hair out.

_Because it looked nicer than his_.

Noticing they were not alone, Art raised his eyebrows and sneered at Emmeline Vance. That girl was such a … Art couldn't even find the words.

Even if she wasn't Lily's best friend, he wouldn't bother hitting on her. That was it. Emmeline's renowned fame for her Fanged Fairy hex was enough to keep _him_ away.

"Yes?"

Emmeline visibly blanched, looking doubtfully between Lily, who was still smiling in that damned affectionate way, and Art, who was looking as though he'd just swallowed Hippogriff dung.

"I – er – have to go to the Owlery!" she announced, her voice falsely bright. "I'll see you later, Lily."

Emmeline hurried out of the library, feeling ill. That _boy_… she shook her head, as usual, unable to comprehend what in Merlin's name Lily saw in him.

"Fancy a walk?" Lily asked brightly, gesturing toward the window, through which the grounds could be seen, basking in the light of the late-afternoon sun. Art shrugged.

At least, he decided, if they were walking, she wouldn't talk too much.

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Emmeline wandered back toward the common room, thoroughly out of sorts. Art Scamander was every inch as Scummy as the Marauder's nickname for him, and yet, Lily persistently ignored their rather accurate assessment of the situation. It seemed clear to Emmeline that Art Scamander deserved nothing more than to be dumped harshly and brutally.

But how was she ever going to convince Lily?

Lily was notorious for _not_ listening to anyone's advice: much less, the advice of her very best friend. Emmeline sighed.

Rounding the corner into the corridor that led past the Transfiguration classroom, Emmeline found herself suddenly and inexplicably hurled against a wall by an invisible force.

Well, not so much hurled, as shoved roughly.

Next thing she knew, something was thrown over her head, and –

Emmeline blinked as Sirius Black grinned sheepishly at her.

Sirius Black had her pinned against a wall.

Oh Merlin.

"What?" Emmeline demanded crossly.

Sirius expelled his breath slowly, looking supremely reluctant. "We're in a spot of bother."

"I don't care, Black," Emmeline told him coldly. "I've had it up to here with boys today, what with Scummy and then – _what?_"

Sirius' expression had darkened at the very mention of that name.

Sirius frowned. "It's Scummy, and we need you now, because James is freaking out," he told her shortly.

Emmeline shrugged. "And its my problem because?"

"Because," Sirius said firmly, leaning even closer and fixing her eyes with a stubborn look, "Lily is your dearest friend in the whole, wide world, Vance," he told her. "And we need your help."

Emmeline winced. Sirius' face was centimetres from hers, and he looked so… grave.

"All right," she told him reluctantly.

Sirius' face transformed, and suddenly he smiled, relieved. "Thank you," he told her, sincerely. "You have no idea what this will mean to James."

Emmeline raised her eyebrows. "I'm not doing this – _whatever it is _– for you, Sirius. I'm doing it for Lily."

Sirius impulsively kissed her cheek. "You're a good friend," he told her softly. "And trust me, Lily's going to need her friends sooner rather than later."

Emmeline blushed, extremely confused, and allowed herself to be led away beneath what appeared to be an invisibility cloak, still mildly disgruntled.

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The door to the Room of Requirement burst open, and three Marauders and one captive looked up, appearing supremely guilty. Thankfully, it was only Sirius, who leant back out the door and dragged Emmeline inside by the crook of her arm. Sirius pushed her forward a few steps, falling behind her to lean back on the door.

Emmeline crossed her arms, regarding the three boys and one girl. This, of all things, was _not_ what she had suspected. In fact, Emmeline was coming to the conclusion that this _did not look good at all._

"What on _earth_ is going on here?" she demanded darkly.

James tentatively stood up. "Well, you see, Em, Padfoot here-" Remus elbowed him in the ribs hastily –' I… I mean _Sirius_ here caught Rita… spying on Sc-Scummy and…"

James cheeks began to colour, and Sirius rolled his eyes. Stepping forward, he slung an arm around Emmeline's shoulders, bracing her gently.

"What James is trying to tell you, but is too sensitive to get the words out, is that Art Scamander was having sex with Felicity Faust – and Rita here was watching, taking photos and transcribing it for the benefit of our dear Lily."

Remus coughed, although to James' ears it sounded suspiciously like '_no tact.'_

Emmeline uncrossed her arms slowly. Then she crossed them again. James watched, fascinated, as her colouring changed from white with shock to red with anger. Something in those normally gentle blue eyes suddenly didn't look so gentle.

"Art's cheating on Lily?" she finally murmured.

James looked at her, shocked. Had Emmeline sounded – _triumphant_? But as swiftly as James' suspicion was aroused, it was gone: one look at Emmeline's face proved her to be anything but triumphant. In fact, James decided that _livid_ might be a more accurate description.

Her teeth were clenched painfully, as were her fists, and it was clear that Emmeline Vance wanted to punch something. Preferably, some _one_.

James nodded earnestly. He quickly stepped forward and guided her toward a second lounge, which had conveniently materialized adjacent to the first one. She looked like she needed to sit down.

"I know-" he gulped. "I know its an awful shock. But Em, I don't think we should tell Lily."

"We have to tell her! He's _sleeping _with another girl!"

Sirius perched on Emmeline's other side. "Actually, from the little James and I saw, it didn't look like much _sleeping_ was going on."

_Slap_.

Sirius flinched, massaging his cheek, as he slowly rose and backed away from Emmeline. Emmeline looked slightly horrified. "Oh, gosh," she murmured. "I'm so sorry… Sirius, do you always have to be so smug?"

"Don't turn that back on me, Vance," he retorted. "You were the one who slapped me!"

Remus silenced Sirius roughly with a hand to his mouth. "Shut up, Sirius. You're not helping."

"Em, we can't tell Lily," James implored Lily's best friend. "She's stressed enough as it is, and we all know that Art gives her enough trouble. She doesn't deserve this, too."

"But then she won't break up with that _lying, cheating bastard_," Emmeline growled. "Do you have any proof, Potter?"

James winced, looking mortified. "Actually, we-"

"I have proof," Rita butted in. Peter glared at her. "I've been following him for months. Do you know he's slept with fourteen different girls since he's been with Lily?" She giggled.

"_Silencio_."

The boys stared at Emmeline, torn between horror and appreciation. The girl looked positively murderous.

"No, you don't get to talk," she informed the captive. "You don't get to do anything except listen. What on earth possessed you to follow that – Scamander!" she screeched. "Did you think Lily would be grateful? You're sick, Rita Skeeter. Nothing more than a scheming, slimy little _beetle_. You're nothing! How _dare_ you?!"

Emmeline paused for breath, nostrils flaring. At this point she appeared to recall that there were other people in the room: and they were all gaping at her. Oddly satisfied with her education of Rita, she decided to turn to them next. James flinched; Sirius blinked, Remus averted his eyes and Peter physically turned away.

"Now," Emmeline said, her voice menacingly gentle. "Is there anything else you boys were going to neglect to tell me?"

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Rita was visibly quivering. "_You – you're going to do _what?!"

"Obliviate you," Emmeline replied cruelly. "Which is no less than you deserve."

Rita sniffed, wanting very much to cry. _All her hard work!_

James watched in disgust as their captive gave another great heaving shudder and promptly burst into tears. While he couldn't understand exactly what she was saying, he caught phrases that sounded vaguely like... no, that couldn't be right? _All my plans?_

James shrugged. He honestly couldn't care less. This wretched creature had been quite prepared to break Lily's heart – and _she_ got to forget this whole incident! James would have much rather that _he_ too was obliviated, quite frankly.

Emmeline pulled out her wand…

Rita fainted.

"Bugger," Sirius complained, sighing as he lifted her onto the lounge for the second time.

James was looking at Emmeline, unable to decide whether he was more impressed or frightened. Emmeline herself looked wretched.

"The things I do for that girl," she muttered, shaking her head.

James was rather inclined to agree.

Peter dusted his hands in a business-like manner. "Right. Well, James, you should get her up to Madam Pomfrey. Say she fell down a stair, or something."

"I'll go with you," Emmeline offered grimly.

James smiled at her gratefully, and levitated Rita in front of him. "Thanks, Em. I'll see you lot back at the common room, then," he told his friends.

Emmeline fetched her cloak from the table at the far end of the room.

"Don't forget that invisibility cloak," she reminded the boys. Surprised, they nodded.

"Lets get this over and done with."

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Lily was stretched out on the lounge when the Carved Witch opened to let James in. She propped herself up on the pillows, smiling at him cheerfully.

"Hello, where have you been all day?"

James visibly blanched. "Umm… around," he replied, vaguely flapping his hand and secretly mortified that she had noticed.

Lily nodded, surprisingly satisfied with his answer. "I had the best afternoon," she told him happily. "I beat Em at chess, and then I ran into Art down at the library and we went for a walk around the lake…"

She sighed happily. James blinked.

For all that he, James Potter, could not see anything at all appealing in Scamander, it was obvious that Lily did. It was apparent that Lily saw _many_ wonderful things in Scamander that James had neglected to notice.

James settled himself onto the lounge opposite her, regarding her thoughtfully as she regaled her afternoon adventures. Her eyes lit up as she described how Art had begun skimming rocks (showing off, James would have called it) and had hit the Giant Squid. The Squid, much to James' satisfaction, had thrown the pebble right back at him.

He laughed as she did.

Yes, James decided grimly. Scummy may not deserve Lily, but he made Lily happy, and that was all that mattered at the end of the day. James knew he'd made the right decision in not telling her.

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James sat in the study later that night, resolutely going over his Transfiguration homework in an attempt to completely forget about his day. It was back to lessons for Thursday, and he was determined to find something else to focus on.

Someone coughed out in the common room – but it wasn't a cough of illness. It was a cough for attention. James stuck his messy black head out of the study doorway to find the Carved Witch waiting primly in her doorway.

"Yes?" he offered, hoping to Merlin that it wasn't Art.

James didn't know what he'd do if it was Art Scamander requesting entrance.

"Emmeline Vance requesting entry," the Carved Witch announced smoothly.

James sighed with relief. "Yes, she can come in," he murmured, stepping out into the hall and leaning against the wall, waiting to greet her.

The door swung open, and a very hesitant Emmeline entered the Head's Tower. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found that it was James, and not Lily, who had let her in.

"Hey," she murmured quietly.

The Head Boy inclined his head. "Hey Em. What's up?"

Emmeline shrugged, looking tired. "Just thought I'd see Lily. Is she still awake?"

James shrugged back, smiling slightly. "I wouldn't know – _I've_ been studying!"

Emmeline gasped, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I don't believe you!"

Gesturing grandly toward the study door, James laughed. "Take a look!"

Rolling her eyes, Emmeline shrugged. "All right then, James Potter. Becoming studious in your old age?"

James shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they looked at each other awkwardly. "Well, I'd better get back to it," he murmured, jerking his head toward the stairs. "Go on up, I expect she's in her room."

James resettled himself at the desk, thinking mutinous thoughts. _No_. _Study is good. I want to be an Auror_, he countered, stubbornly.

Emmeline's footsteps once again sounded on the stairs, and moments later, she poked her head into the study. "Lily's sleeping," she muttered. "I'll just go. Good night!"

James watched her go, puzzled. There was something in Emmeline's eyes that he couldn't quite place – was it anticipation?

_Girls_, he thought, picking up his quill as the tower door closed. _I'll never understand them_.

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Lily yawned. Suddenly alert, she noticed that she seemed to be lying on her bed, with a book covering her face. _Bugger_….

Sitting up slowly, she rubbed her eyes. The heavy cloud of sleep still clung to her brain, like a warm blanket that refused to surrender her mind to ordinary thoughts.

_But hold on…._ Lily thought, carefully book-marking her page, and closing the hardback with great reverence. _If I was so asleep, what on earth woke me up?_

She peered around her bedroom expectantly for some sort of invader: nothing.

That was odd.

Stifling a yawn, Lily stretched her legs and climbed out of bed. While she was up, she may as well clean her tee- _Now what is that?_

Lily blinked. Lying carelessly in the middle of her doorway was some sort of abandoned book. The cover was all tatty and torn, as if it had been much-perused. It wasn't a school book, Lily concluded, moving toward it tentatively. _Much too tatty_…

In fact, she couldn't help but think it looked remarkably like what Muggles call a 'scrap-book'.

Lily bent down and gently turned the book around.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

_Rita's Book of Evidence_.

Now what in Merlin's name could that be about?

She lifted the cover with great delicacy, and peeled back the cover-page.

And gasped.

With a soft thump, the tattered scrapbook fell to the ground.

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"Prongs! _Pssst_! James!"

James startled awake, his head butting against the headrest. Gingerly rubbing his hair, he yawned, he sitting up and reaching for the mirror. Contrary to Lily's suspicions, James did not carry the little hand-mirror with him at all times because he was a narcissist. Rather, he found it awfully handy for communications purposes.

"What now, Padfoot?" he demanded sleepily. "It's been such a long day and can't a bloke get a little sleep without being interrupted?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and frowned. "Prongs, this is important. I just remembered – what ended up happening to the scrapbook? You destroyed it, right?"

James straightened. _Hadn't that been Sirius'...?_ He swore.

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**A/N**:** There you go: Chapter 11, in its entirety! Sorry it took me so long - I did warn you that this time would come, where I would be so swamped with uni work that I'd be pressed to update for a while… and its here. But it should be over soon! Thanks for waiting :-)**

**On that note… I've noticed something rather odd. Last chapter (10) received the lowest amount of hits that **_**Mischief Managed**_** has ever received… and the highest amount of reviews. Is that weird, or is it just me?**

**And I'd like to say a quick thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review! It means a lot – in fact, more often than not, your reviews make my day. So, you know what to do! xx – Lexie**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** **Any ideas, characters or settings related to Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, and I will not even attempt to take credit for them. However, the plot is mine!**

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**Chapter Twelve: In which Lily is heartbroken (and gets drunk)**

James darted out of bed, hastily pulling on a pair of jeans. The scrapbook must have been left in the Room of Requirement, which left James with a rather large predicament. He wasn't sure whether the Room would have vanished; and this left two problems. _What if someone wandered into the Room and found the book_?

Alternatively - _What if the room had absorbed the book with it? _

Halfway down the stairs, James paused. Something was moving around the common room.

Leaning forward just slightly, he peered around the corner of the stairwell, and a familiar site caught his eyes – a mass of straight, wine-red hair.

_What was Lily doing awake at this hour_?

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, James listened intently. And there it was – a sob. James thought he was going to throw up.

Making the rest of his way down the stairs quietly, he rounded the corner and paused. There was Lily, sitting in front of the fire, her dressing gown secured firmly around her. Beside her sat a handsomely carved wooden box: the lid was open, and the contents appeared to be sprawled across the hearthrug. James watched, confused, as Lily selected an object at random and tossed it into the fire, muffling another sob. James' eyes wandered over the various objects: a bundle of letters, what appeared to be a few photographs, some pressed flowers… His eyes lit on the coffee table and James' worst fears were confirmed. For there sat that dratted _Rita's Book of Evidence_. James felt, for a book, it appeared to be presiding over this scene of chaos with some satisfaction.

"Lily?"

He called her name tentatively, reluctant to make his presence known, but even more reluctant to remain a silent observer. The wretched girl turned to gaze at him: her almond shaped eyes fixed upon his own, and James startled to see the depth of pain that lay within them. Which was exactly why he hadn't planned on telling her at all!

"Lily, what are you doing?"

He knelt beside her on the hearthrug, and hesitantly stretched an arm across her shoulders, pulling her to him. The girl sniffed delicately.

"S-spring cleaning," she managed to mumble, tossing the bundle of letters in her hand into the flames.

James bit back the obvious reply of _'But it's Autumn!_'

They sat together; his arm curled around her waist, watching the flames lick at the paper, slowly disintegrating it.

"He – he _cheated on me_!" the girl finally expelled, her voice wobbling.

Lily turned to him, eyes wide. "Did you know?" she demanded quietly. "Did you know, that he was…?"

Unwilling and unable to lie to her directly, James gave a short nod. Lily watched him solemnly, as if struggling to come to a decision, and for several minutes, James expected her to scream at him. Instead, much to his surprise, she nodded, and settled her head back against his shoulder.

James regarded her crown of hair, confused. Lily _should_ have thrown at least three good hexes at him by now, and instead, she remained on the hearthrug beside him, leaning against him. Allowing him to _support_ her.

James allowed himself a small, shortly lived smile. Perhaps Lily was starting to realize he wasn't so bad after all?

Lily leant away from him again, tucking her knees up to her chest. "I think I'd like to be alone, please, Potter."

James frowned. Somehow, he didn't think alone was such a good idea. He watched her stare determinedly into the fire, before sighing.

"I didn't want you to get hurt," he told her, the sincerity in his voice a sharp pain to her ears.

Lily didn't reply. Instead, James echoed her movement, drawing his knees up to his chest and turning to watch the fire. He wasn't wearing a shirt, he dimly registered: but, despite the cold, this didn't seem to matter.

What seemed likes hours passed in a blur, and they sat together watching as the fire burnt lower and lower in the grate. Lily's box of trinkets lay forgotten between them; she had abandoned their ceremonial burning as soon as James had arrived.

Quite suddenly, at what James guessed would have been about three in the morning, Lily appeared to wake from her stupor, and suddenly glanced over to him.

"Potter, am I beautiful?"

James blinked. _What sort of a question is that?_

She watched him expectantly, her eyes very green, and he couldn't help but notice the deep rings that had begun to form beneath them. James supposed he probably had them too, having not had much sleep the previous night either.

James tossed up his options. On one hand, he could be completely honest, and drive her away with his intensity. On the other, he could lie outright. James frowned, before settling with the truth, so far as he could see it, anyway.

"Lily Evans, you are the most beautiful girl in the world."

Lily sniffed, then, in a move that further shocked James, frowned too.

"Do ya think?" she mumbled. "Art said he could never tell, with me. Hadn't seen _all_ of me, you see."

James winced, uncomfortable and relieved all at once.

"Art... Art said you could never tell beauty 'til you stripped away the layers," Lily continued softly, her focus returned to the fire.

James knew the sort of beauty that Art had been referring to: the beauty of a physical kind; the shallow, trivial aspect of beauty that was all-important for narcissists like him. But James knew and appreciated the true beauty of Lily. The way her face lit up as she smiled, the gentle softness of her skin, yes… but also, the fire in her eyes, the persistence of her temper, the immeasurable extent of her kindness, and wit, and intelligence.

"Lily, you don't have to sleep with anyone to feel beautiful," James told her gently.

Lily nodded tiredly. "I know, I know," she murmured distractedly. "Art didn't understand that though. _Stupid men_! Why do you always have to be so… so… _self absorbed_! _Bastards_!"

Lily's exhausted mumbling stung James ears, although he seemed to understand that Lily didn't really mean _him_. He watched her critically. She was falling asleep, her head jerking every now and then. James stood up, carefully stepped over the mess and lifted Lily easily into his arms.

"You need to get some sleep," he told her gently.

She nodded, looking up at him with eyes half opened, trusting… She smiled then, and nuzzled herself against his chest.

James carried her upstairs and slipped her into her own bed, tucking in the sheets securely around her, and fluffing her pillows, before dropping into her padded window seat and drifting off to sleep himself.

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Thursday morning dawned clear and cool, and James was jerked awake by the dawn light flooding in through the un-shuttered window. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the window seat and stretching his back. Lily slept peacefully in her bed, looking vulnerable and pretty in the early morning light. Smiling slightly, he leant back against the pillows to watch her.

The next time James awoke, the sun was well and truly rising. It cast its golden glow across the Lake, and although the sunlight did not directly hit Lily's window, it seemed to fill the room. Lily muttered and stirred, which in turn woke James: while Lily rolled over and resettled herself, James did not. A quick check of his watch told him that it was 7:30am. A quick assessment of his patient told him that Lily would be spending the day in bed.

Finding parchment and a quill on her desk, he scribbled a quick note, which he left on her spare pillow, before setting off to get ready.

Surveying the common room on his way out to breakfast, James noticed the scattered contents of the trinket box still strewn across the rug. With a quick flick of his wand, they all gathered, before flying back into the little carved box. Snapping the lid shut, James looked around the room, wondering where he could stash it: he suspected the box was the last thing Lily would want to see today. Finally settling on the study, he slipped it onto the highest shelf, beside a tattered assortment of old books, before gathering up his own books and going down to breakfast.

Sirius greeted him tiredly, the look in his eyes becoming instantly anxious as James simply shook his head.

"She found the scrapbook," he murmured tiredly, sliding onto the bench beside Peter.

The Marauders watched him, concerned.

"It wasn't a good night," he added, unnecessarily.

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James slid into his normal seat in Transfiguration, swamped with the overwhelming need to sleep. Sirius sat beside him, frowning as he gazed off into the distance, and James had the distinctly anticipatory feeling that Sirius was scheming.

Someone coughed behind him, and James turned to find Emmeline, eyeing him rather guiltily. They looked at each other for a while, and it slowly dawned on James… _Emmeline had been in the Tower last night_…

"Where's Lily?" she asked tentatively.

James frowned, his suspicions all but confirmed. _Emmeline had given Lily the scrapbook?_

Running his fingers through his hair, he searched her eyes, and found no malice.

_She'd wanted Lily to know… but for Lily's sake_.

"She's ill," he mumbled.

Emmeline looked startled, but nodded shortly, and as Professor McGonagall had just entered the classroom, Emmeline moved to take her seat.

_What would Lily do_? James wondered. He was much too tired to be angry with Emmeline, and even though he didn't agree with the way she had obviously chosen to tell Lily, she had had Lily's best interests at heart. _Lily wouldn't be angry_, James realised. _She'd be upset – but she'd understand_. James resolved to become more understanding.

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Sirius had perked up considerably by lunchtime, and he sat at the Gryffindor table, actually smiling, and occasionally glancing expectantly toward the doors. Catching James' eye, he just grinned mysteriously at his friend's questioning look.

Emmeline appeared behind James, and Sirius jerked his head, indicating her presence. James turned to see her, and something flickered across his face – was it disappointment? Emmeline muttered something, and James stood quickly, mumbling an apology. They briskly left the hall together. Sirius couldn't help but feel mildly disappointed himself.

Remus watched them go, and then looked at Sirius. The handsome boy wore his enigma face – something that usually told Remus to tread with caution.

"Sirius, what's going on?" Or not.

Sirius grinned. "Just wait, Moony. Any minute now, I promise."

As if on queue, the double doors creaked open, and a gaggle of girls, ranging in Houses and ages, burst into the hall. All were scowling; and all, Remus noted, seemed to be clutching letters. As a group, they approached the Ravenclaw table. Remus' eyes widened as he saw exactly whom they were approaching.

SLAP! 

The noise rebounded throughout the hall, as one by one, the girls accosted Art Scamander, shrieking.

Professor Flitwick quickly hurried toward the gang, looking determined to diffuse the situation.

Peter and Remus leant forward toward Sirius, eyebrows raised.

"Padfoot, _what did you do_?"

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"James, I have… erm… I have something to tell you," Emmeline began awkwardly.

James held up a hand to silence her. "I already know, Em," he told her solemnly. "And while I can't pretend to understand why, I'm not mad."

Emmeline breathed out a sigh of relief. "You're a good friend, James," she mumbled, echoing Sirius' previous sentiments. She had expected James to yell, at the very least, and instead – the look in James' eyes was impossible to read, but it definitely wasn't anger.

James shrugged. "Well, Lily wouldn't be angry, and its really not me you have to explain yourself to, Em," he said frankly.

Emmeline nodded, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I know. I was wondering… if you'd come with me?"

James shoved his hands into his pockets. Lily needed to hear what Emmeline was going to tell her… and Lily probably wouldn't be very happy with Emmeline. He thought about her, curled up in that big bed of hers', looking fast asleep and peaceful as she had that morning, unable to comprehend why anyone would ever wish to hurt her. She looked so… well, _innocent_.

And he _had_ intended to check up on her…

James expelled his breath slowly. "Ok," he agreed.

Emmeline looked surprised, again. "Thanks."

They made their way back to the Head's Tower with relative speed. The corridors were deserted, as everyone was at lunch, although the portraits eyed them suspiciously.

The Carved Witch smiled uncertainly as they approached.

"Oh good, I was wondering when you'd be back… I'm afraid the Head Girl is in a bad way," she murmured as James muttered the password.

James and Emmeline exchanged looks of apprehension and set forth into the Head's Tower with caution.

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"JAMES!"

Lily stood in the middle of the common room, smiling lopsided as she wandered forward to give James a hug. Bewildered, James hugged her back awkwardly, patting her back and glaring at Emmeline over Lily's shoulder. _ Since when did Lily call him James?_

"Er – hi, Lily."

"And EM!" she cried, more or less leaping onto Emmeline. " I love you, Emmeline Vance."

James watched her, frowning. When the Carved Witch had said she was in a bad way… well, James had expected tears. But looking at Lily, he couldn't shake the deep suspicion that she was… well, there was no other word for it… _drunk_.

Emmeline was harbouring similar suspicions – something that appeared to be confirmed when James groaned, raced upstairs and returned moments later, frowning.

"You," he accused, wiggling his index finger at Lily," stole my Firewhiskey."

Lily giggled. _Giggled_!

James ran a hand through his messy black hair, and Emmeline was very curious to notice that two red blotches were appearing on his cheeks.

"What were you doing looking through my underwear draw?" James' voice sounded positively strangled.

Emmeline's eyes widened. She coughed, reminding them that she was still there. Lily giggled again, and opened her mouth to give a reply – a reply that in Emmeline's mind, anyway, was definitely going to include way too much information.

"Lily, how much exactly have you had?"

Lily bit her lip, looking thoughtful, then grinned. The way that her eyes lit up was positively child-like.

"Almost the whole bottle, I think!" she told them proudly.

James groaned.

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"James Potter, you are _such_ a nice boy. I don't know why I don't like you," Lily mumbled into James' hair several hours later.

James had sent Emmeline back to class: it was only Potions, and Emmeline was to tell Slughorn that they were in a Head's meeting. Slughorn, being his normally jovial, Lily-worshipping self would undoubtedly accept that without question.

"Nor do I," James murmured back, resettling her upright for the umpteenth time that afternoon. Lily simply giggled and leaned against him once more.

"It's silly. I'm probably in love with you, you know. Because I'm such a prude."

James really didn't see how Lily had come to either of those conclusions, but this seemed irrelevant.

"You're not a prude, and you're not in love with me," he told her firmly.

Lily rolled her eyes, and grabbed the back of his neck, drawing his face closer.

"I know one way to tell," she grinned, adding in a singsong voice, "Kiss me please!"

James blanched. _Had Lily just asked him to kiss her?_ James' head spun. This was what he'd been waiting for… a chance to prove to her how much he cared. Another voice interrupted his thoughts. _She was drunk_.

"No," he told her flatly.

Lily frowned. "Why not?" she whined, gazing up at him through her lashes in what could only be classed as an attempt to seduce him. _Attempt,_ being the operative word.

James grinned and ran a finger down her nose. "You've been drinking, Lily," he told her gently. "I don't want to do anything that you'll regret in the morning."

Lily pouted. "You're no fun."

James shrugged, checking his watch. "No, I'm not, and I have to go to class now, so Lily, promise me you'll behave yourself?"

Lily laughed. "So serious, James. Don't take life so seriously!"

"Can you do me a favour?" James asked the Carved Witch.

She frowned, a newly hewn line appearing across her forehead. "I'll do my best," she promised.

"Don't let Lily leave the Heads Tower?"

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"You left her _alone?!_" Emmeline hissed, appalled, slipping into the seat beside him and blatantly ignoring Professor Flitwick, who was attempting to begin the lesson.

James shrugged. In his mind's eye he saw Lily, who was quite possibly once again rifling through his underwear drawer. Her hair was still drawn back into that messy, careless ponytail that he found so gorgeous… And then there was that coy look in her eyes when she had asked him to kiss her. The Lily in his mind's eye picked up a pair of boxers and eyed them quizzically before throwing them away and selecting the next. And then, to his absolute horror, she discovered the second bottle of alcohol he had stashed in there.

"ARGH!" James yelled, clutching his stomach in pain, eyes squeezed tight.

"Mr. Potter!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, hurrying forward. "Are you quite all right?"

"I don't feel so well, Professor," James mumbled, lying through his teeth. "May I be excused?"

Flitwick nodded absently. "Of course, of course! My, you are pale! Miss Vance, be kind enough to escort Mr. Potter to the hospital wing, will you?"

As soon as James stumbled out of the classroom and Emmeline had closed the door, the Head Boy straightened and began to walk briskly in the direction of the Head's Tower, which coincidently was at the opposite end of the school to the Hospital Wing.

"I thought so," Emmeline intoned darkly, stepping into line with him. "What's wrong now?"

James coughed, and looked away. "I just remembered there was more than one bottle of Firewhiskey in my stash."

Emmeline sighed.

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James and Emmeline arrived at the Carved Witch in record time. When she saw who it was, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, I was having _so_ much trouble resisting," she told them kindly. "You do appreciate that as a door, my function _is_ to open and close. Your request went against my very nature."

"Yes, yes," James mumbled, adding the password.

What he hadn't expected was for Lily to tumble out of the doorway as soon as it opened.

James and Emmeline caught her between them, each of their faces mirroring the other's shock.

Lily had obviously found the second bottle, James concluded grimly. If not the third and fourth – and hopefully not the fourth, because that would have meant she had _really_ gone digging through his underwear drawer.

"What are you doing, Lily?" he asked her patiently, gazing down at her with an expression mixed between dismay and amusement.

"Going to talk to Art," she replied promptly, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh, no you aren't," Emmeline breathed, her voice gentle. "You don't want to talk to him, really, sweety."

"Yes, I do," Lily insisted. "I want to tell him that I don't like him anymore. Because I was never in love, it was just like, and I can't ever like him like that anymore. Because he smashed my heart into pieces and then stomped all over it," Lily paused for breath. "I wonder if Art's ever seen a trampoline?" she added as an afterthought.

James and Emmeline exchanged quizzical looks over this particular piece of information, before James resignedly lifted her into his arms once more.

"You can tell him that later," he ordered firmly. "Right now, Lily Evans, _you_ are going to bed."

He glanced at Emmeline. "And you'd better get back to class."

Emmeline gave James a lopsided smile. "Take care of her," she murmured.

James nodded his assent. "If you could maybe get the boys to bring me up some food later? I don't think I'll be going to dinner."

Emmeline saluted him. "Will do, Boss. Good luck," she gestured to Lily, who was now squirming in his arms.

With a resolute sigh, James set back off into the Head's Tower.

Lily glared up at him accusingly. "You're a ruiner," she muttered resentfully.

James had to laugh. "And you, my dear, are a nuisance, but it doesn't mean I like you any less."

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**A/N****: Yes, I appreciate that there was very little Marauder action in this chapter – but that kind of balances out the last one, then! Besides, you haven't read the NEXT chapter yet to don't jump to any conclusions about me deviating. And yes, it's late at night and I'm in an excessively random mood. I apologise for this author's note.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers – it's amazing, where it would take days to muster up 10 reviews, it takes mere hours now! And on that note, reviews are always appreciated. They make me smile. Thanks for reading! xx - Lexie**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer****: Any characters or settings that you recognise as relating to Harry Potter belong to JKR. The plot, however is mine!**

**And, on that note, welcome to Chapter Thirteen… Lucky for some… Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Thirteen: In which Lily and James make friends**

Lily's head was bleeding. It throbbed painfully, and she could feel the unpleasant sensation of blood trickling down her face. Lily hoped with all her might that it was only a small wound: she had learnt in her summer internship at St Mungos' that head wounds always bled a lot.

Lily needed help. The gash felt big, much bigger than she had first anticipated. She wondered how much blood she had already lost, and also wondered whether she would be able to walk.

Bravely, Lily opened her eyes to find a disgustingly smiley boy holding a wet, cloth washer to her forehead.

"Good morning!" James said cheerfully from his perch beside her on the bed.

Lily groaned. _Bugger off, Potter_, she thought crossly.

"Would you like a drink?" he persisted. "Water is good for a hangover, but a pepper-up potion is better, so whichever you please!"

Lily winced. "Hangover?" she repeated.

To James, it sounded like "Hamdover."

"You – er - stole my stash of Firewhiskey," James clarified, before looking away. "From my underwear drawer."

Lily was in too much pain to properly register that last piece of information. Stowing it away for later, she decided to focus on the current problem.

"But my head-" she protested, gingerly reaching up to feel for what she imagined to be a hideous gash.

"Just a headache," James replied cheerfully. "Here, drink up and you'll feel better in no time."

Complying, Lily was amazed to discover that James actually seemed to know what he was talking about. _That's a first_.

"How much did I drink?" she winced, before recalling his gentle chiding earlier. "Sorry for plundering your stash."

She once again conveniently ignored the location of said stash.

James smiled, brushing it off lightly. Lily had never looked so beautiful, all tousled hair and wide, vulnerable eyes. "The alcohol doesn't matter really. I'm more concerned about you, Lily. How do you feel?"

Lily blinked. _Terrible, obviously_, she thought scathingly, searching for the reason she had indeed drunk so much in the first place. If she did say so herself, her behaviour seemed to have been _very_ un-Lily-like. Was Potter _sure_ she'd been drinking? Unless… _Hang on_. _That's right…_

_Art._

"Like a manticore has torn out my heart," she answered truthfully.

James blinked. _What a strange idea_. Surely Lily was much too hung over to come up with such intelligent descriptions?

"Well, it can only get better Lily," he said, uncertain as to how one comforts a heartbroken girl. Flashing her a sympathetic smile, he added, "I always thought you were too good for him anyway."

Lily's stomach clutched painfully. Determined not to think about Art, Lily rolled her eyes and focused on the boy in front of her. "Yes, but you've always thought that you and I would make a match, Potter," she replied lightly. "I mean-"

James stood up abruptly, surprised and more than a little wounded. _Why was it that Lily had to be drunk to be nice to him? _He thought bitterly. All he'd done was go out of his way to be nice to her, and she _still_ insisted on being thoughtless. Obviously, contrary to her behaviour of the past few weeks and to the growing seed of hope that he had secretly fostered, Lily Evans had not warmed to him much at all.

Startled, Lily noticed the hurt in his eyes too late.

"I suppose I'll send for Emmeline, then, shall I?" he asked stiffly, and left.

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"I don't understand her," James muttered angrily, perching on the edge of his old bed. Sirius, reclined back on his own four-poster bed, simply shrugged. "One minute she's all friendly and smiley and cheerful, and the next she's crying her heart out on my shoulder, and the _next_ she talks to me like she doesn't even like me a _little_. I just don't _understand!_"

Sirius shrugged, not looking in the least sympathetic. But, then again, Sirius' experience with women was rather limited, despite his reputation. And, to be brutally honest, the women of the Black family were not a very accurate measure of the rest of society.

"Mate, honestly, will you ever?"

James sighed, and ran his fingers through his messy hair. Pinching his nose, he sighed.

"But what made her think that she and Scummy would make a good pair in the first place? And why can't she see the same thing between us? It's there, I'm sure it is."

Remus stuck his head out of the boys' bathroom, his hair still wet, and spiky from the towel he was using to dry it.

"Scamander's always been a flatterer," Remus murmured. "You're not, James. You see and like Lily for who she is – but you don't flatter her. Not like Scamander does."

James scowled. "Don't even mention that name," he muttered.

Sirius, Remus and Peter all exchanged grim smiles. Sirius swept the hair from his eyes and laughed ironically, his eyes glittering with malicious mirth. Peter leant forward, a little too eager to clue James in, considering the Head Boy was obviously not in the mood to hear of their most recent prank. Nevertheless -

"Actually, Prongs, I don't think you heard about Scummy's little mishap, did you?" Peter asked enthusiastically.

James raised his eyebrows. "What did you lot do?"

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"And it was like he was offended or something! I mean everyone knows he was only joking, right?"

Emmeline snorted in a very un-ladylike show of disbelief. "You have to be kidding me, Lily. James is crazy for you, and we've always joked you were the only one not to notice, but we never actually thought…You never _once_ considered he might actually still have feelings for you?" Emmeline rolled her eyes, twisting her long hair up into a bun. "Honestly, girl…"

Potter was _serious_? No, Lily concluded. Emmeline must be delusional. Potter hadn't asked her out in years. And had he been interested, Lily was sure she would have known about it.

Of course, the Head Girl conveniently ignored the entire stag incident.

She shrugged; collapsing back against her pillows, and shook her head. "The way I see it, he got over that a long time ago, Em. The Marauders are a bunch of fun-time boys who no one should ever take seriously, right?"

Emmeline felt like hitting Lily over the head: she really did. Luckily for Lily, as she was already nursing the remnants of a hangover, and as Emmeline did indeed possess some sympathy, she suppressed that particular urge. She settled for a piece of choice truth, with just a hint of sarcasm.

"Open your eyes, Lily. They've grown up, all of them - some more than others. But it seems like… well, some things haven't changed."

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway, and both girls turned to find the subject of their conversation standing there quite nervously. Emmeline stood very quickly.

"Remus! I think this is my cue to leave," she announced, smiling at the sandy-haired boy on her way out. "I'll tell Professor Vaspish you're still not well, Lily."

Remus nodded his greeting in return, and approached Lily's bed, gazing about her room, impressed. _This must be the first time he's been up here_, Lily realised suddenly. She bit her lip. Which brought her to –_why was he here? _Lily could only think of one reason.

"Hello Remus," she smiled shyly. "What are you doing here?"

Remus shrugged. "Free period. Thought I'd see how you were. Skiving Divination, Lily?" he teased.

Lily looked up at him, unsure of what to say. They stood regarding each other for several minutes before Lily decided to break the ice.

"Is Potter terribly angry at me?"

The boy looked taken aback. That had been the _last_ question Remus had expected.

"Oh, he'll get over it," he replied, surprised. "I didn't come here to talk about James, Lily. I came to see how you were recovering." He paused, smiling. "I heard you had quite an – _er_ – adventure?"

Lily grimaced. "I heard that too," she muttered, blushing.

Remus grinned, taking Emmeline's seat beside her bed. "So what did you hear? We can trade information."

Lily and Remus sat, laughing, as each described the various stories that both James and Emmeline had related to them, and debating the truthfulness of what appeared to have become known as the 'great underwear drawer invasion.' Lily's face grew brighter and brighter with every teasing anecdote.

"I think I owe Potter a few bottles of Hog's Head's finest," Lily murmured, mildly mortified.

"Excuse me!"

The Carved Witch's voice rang up through the tower, and Remus stuck his head out the door.

"Artemis Scamander requesting entry."

Scamander. _Of all the nerve.._. Remus froze. He should probably leave, he concluded reluctantly. Although… _Lily might appreciate the moral support_.

Remus' eyes darted back to Lily's suddenly stony face. She gave him a curt nod.

"Lily says to let him in," Remus relayed, and almost immediately he heard the oak door swing open in reply.

He turned to look at the Head Girl questioningly. She was currently getting out of bed.

"Do you want me to stay?" he offered gently.

Lily nodded, her eyes grateful. "Thanks," she muttered quietly.

They emerged onto the gallery that bordered three sides of the common room from above. Lily leant against the railing, managing to look majestic even in her pyjamas, or so Remus thought. Remus himself remained back, leaning against the wall in an attempt to render himself invisible unless Lily needed him.

Art Scamander strode into the common room, and made for the stairs. Before he could reach them, though, he froze, noticing them hovering above. Flashing a winning smile, he gave Lily a little wave.

"Lily darling, I just heard you were sick!"

"Save it, Scamander."

Remus looked at Lily in shock: he had never heard her voice so cold. Art's mouth opened and closed silently, in surprise.

"My darling, what's the matter?"

Remus moved to stand beside Lily, feeling the girl might want some support. Or rather, James would kill him if he _didn't_. Although Art couldn't see it, Lily's legs were trembling.

"I'm not your darling Scamander," she told him icily, and gestured to the coffee table behind him with a careless wave of her hand. Much to Remus' surprise, the offensive scrapbook still lay there, as if on display to the entire world. Or, Remus concluded, more likely as if it had been waiting for Scummy. Curiously, Art turned around and looked at it, his eyes widening as he picked it up and flicked through the first few pages. With a snap, he shut the book, although Remus could not miss the fact that it remained in his arms. The knuckles that gripped the scrapbook's spine were white with rage.

"Lies!"

Lily smirked, her green eyes glittering contemptuously, her voice without an inch of mercy. "Get out," she told him. "Get out, and take that _thing_ with you. We're over."

Art looked like he wanted to argue the point further, but Lily pushed herself up to standing and turned away from the railing, disappearing back into her room.

Remus raised his eyebrows at the young man, regarding him with a look of disgust.

"You heard her," he told him quietly, his voice carrying just the slightest trace of a threat.

Art scowled, clutching the scrapbook angrily, and left, slamming the Carved Witch's door shut. She cried out in surprise.

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"Are you ok?" Remus asked softly, leaning in the doorway.

Lily was perched on the edge of her bed, looking at her hands. Looking up at him, she shrugged, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"I'll survive," she croaked. "I just… Remus, what even possessed him to think he'd get away with it?"

Remus shrugged, slowly moving across the room to sit beside her. "I don't know," he replied honestly, before a ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "But if it makes you feel any better, Sirius sent each and every one of those girls a lovely letter yesterday. Art's not quite so loved as he thought."

Lily gave Remus a watery smile. "Remind me to thank him."

"Thank who?"

They both looked up to find James leaning against the doorway casually, his arms crossed loosely across his chest. Pushing his glasses up his nose with an air of casual elegance, he regarded them curiously. His eyes held many questions.

Remus kissed Lily's cheek, in a brotherly gesture of solidarity, and stood up to leave.

As he passed through the doorway, Remus paused and muttered something in James' ear.

James frowned, a single wrinkle creasing his forehead. He could have sworn Remus had just told him to "be gentle".

James shut the door, and walked slowly over to sit beside Lily on the bed, looking scarily determined. Lily avoided his hazel gaze, unsure of what to say.

_ Shouldn't you be in class?_

_Sorry I hurt you_.

_You're really not as bad as I thought._

_Thanks for looking after me last night_.

_Thanks for looking out for me, like always._

_I hear I owe you a drink._

Before the baffled girl had an opportunity to say any of the myriad of questions that were tumbling through her mind, James spoke. His voice was calm, and assured, and held no sign of the disappointment and hurt he'd clearly felt earlier that morning.

"Lily, I am going to tell you a few things, and you can listen or not… but I need to say them, and I need for you not to interrupt."

Lily nodded mutely. James watched her hopelessly, wanting to take her hand and reassure her that he was not in fact mad at her. _Although_, he conceded, _it was probably easier to say if he didn't have to meet her eyes_. James drew a deep breath.

"Lily Evans, I think I've fancied you for as long as I can remember ever having feelings for a girl. You're beautiful, and kind, and caring, and you're strong, maybe one of the strongest witches I know. But sometimes you just reject what you see right in front of you. I've been waiting for you to see me for forever, to see that I'm not_just _attracted to you, and you're so bloody blind that I've had enough of waiting around for you to notice me. I like you, Lily. A whole lot more than you can probably understand. When I showed you my animagus, I suppose you might have noticed that I fancy you… but somehow I think you've forgotten, and I need, I want to remind you again, Lily. Because I'm tired of being invisible."

James took another breath, feeling a lovely sense of relief wash over him. This was enough. He could live with himself now, now that he had told her once and for all. It was enough.

Except - the problem seemed to be that Lily hadn't been listening, as far as James could work out. She hadn't reacted at all. Not even an inch.

_Maybe she's still hung over, or sad about Art? Maybe I told her too soon? Maybe she needs more time_?

James stood to go, carefully avoiding her eyes.

"James?"

She had called him back; better, she had called him _James._

He was by her side in an instant, kneeling beside her and looking up into her face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and a tear slipped down her cheek. It was a very beautiful tear, a beaded crystal of hope. "I broke up with him."

James nodded. "Good."

But he didn't sound pleased at all. He sounded… Lily couldn't place it, but she prayed to Merlin that it wasn't disinterest that she heard in his tone. They looked at each other in silence, unsure as to how to proceed. Finally, James stood to go once more.

"I'll let you rest now. I have to get to Quidditch practice anyway."

Lily shook her head. "No… I don't need to rest anymore. I just… Thank you, for being serious about me, even if I didn't notice."

James nodded shortly, but didn't reply any further. Instead, he turned again and left the room.

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"Go well, mate?" Sirius asked quietly as the rest of the team took to the air.

The breeze whistled gently around the stands of the Quidditch pitch, the tall spectator towers silhouetted in the fading dusk. James shrugged.

"She didn't really react," he confessed hopelessly, helping Sirius to release the first bludger. "Nothing. I'd expected _something_… She broke it off with him though," James concluded, as if this was a concession he was satisfied with.

Sirius grinned. "I know. Moony was there. Reckons she scared the crap out of both of them. Didn't expect anything different, did you?"

James shrugged again. "No, I suppose not."

Sirius nodded efficiently. "Good, then. Now up you go Potter, what do you think this is, a gossip session?"

Rolling his eyes, James tucked the Quaffle under his arm and mounted his Nimbus 1000.

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The Gryffindor team trooped, fatigued, into the Great Hall, just in time for dinner. Sirius, as usual, had worked them to the point of near exhaustion and now, only Sirius looked cheerful. His furtive glances toward the Ravenclaw table immediately clued James in.

"Not _another_ prank?" he berated his friend, tiredly, wondering absently where Sirius found the time to organize such mischief these days.

Peter rolled his eyes and selected a bread roll. "Prongs, you won't be disappointed," he promised sincerely.

And indeed, James found that he wasn't.

Near the end of dinner, a house-elf arrived in the middle of the Great Hall with a quiet _crack!_ Several students happened to drop their pumpkin juices in surprise.

The house elf was carrying a large bunch of flowers.

"If you please, sirs and ladies, I have a message for a Mr. Scamander," the elf announced in his squeaky voice.

James raised his eyebrows. "You dragged Tibby into this?"

Sirius and Peter shrugged. "He offered," Sirius murmured with a broad smile. "You see, James, while you spent all day agonizing over a certain Head Girl, _we_ were productive."

Scamander stood and approached the elf, looking rather surprised, and exceptionally pleased.

"I'm Mr. Scamander," he told the elf, rousing more than a few sniggers.

The elf, Tibby, bowed and presented Scummy with the flowers. They were large and yellow, and while some were in bloom, others were still waiting to open.

"To Mr. Scamander," the elf recited in his high-pitched voice. "I saw these flowers and thought of you. Love always, Snuffles."

Art raised his eyebrows, looking creepily chuffed. "Thank you," he said formally.

James was watching the flowers. One quivered…

"Padfoot," he said slowly. "Are those…?"

The next moment, however, James did not have time to finish his query, for his theory was suddenly and dramatically confirmed.

The flower bud popped, and a thick, yellow liquid began to ooze down Scummy's hands. Yelling in shock, he dropped the bouquet: but it was too late, as the pus like substance began to bubble and blister.

"Bubotuber flowers," Sirius murmured, satisfied, as Scummy raced out of the hall to the unpleasant laughter from the Slytherin's table. "I took one look at those oozing pustules the other day in Herbology and thought of him."

James frowned. "That was actually pretty cruel, Padfoot," he berated his friend.

Sirius shrugged, his eyes twinkling. Secretly, Sirius knew he'd probably gone too far, but on the other hand, it _was_ Scummy. Where Scummy was involved, Sirius was hard pressed to find even an inch of sympathy.

"Prongs, normally I'd care. At the moment though, dessert has arrived and I have a strange craving for custard…"

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After James had left, Lily had attempted to stand again. Much to her dismay, she had discovered a strange dizziness that had not been present during her confrontation with Art. _Probably too much adrenaline to notice_, Lily concluded with a sigh, climbing back into bed and closing her eyes.

Lily wasn't sure how many hours she'd been asleep. All she knew was that when she awoke the next, it wasn't gradual. Rather, it was a jolt of consciousness. Someone was tapping softly at her door.

Lily, from her mound of pillows and bedclothes, peeled open an eye to assess the intruder who had woken her so rudely. Messy black hair, glasses, nice face – wait, _nice face?_

James was poking his head around the door, and smiled when he saw she was awake.

"Hello sleepy," he said, entering the room. "How are you feeling?"

Lily sat up, waiting for the spinning to start again, but it didn't, and she smiled. "Better," she told him. "Hungry."

He laughed. "Lucky I saved you some blueberry Danish from dinner, then." He told her.

Lily's eyes lit up at the mention of her favourite dessert.

"You think of everything," she sighed happily.

James' face was carefully blank as he set the tray down on the bed and turned to go.

"Wait!"

He stopped, face unreadable.

"Would you like to join me, Mr. Potter?"

Producing a spoon from his pocket, a seamless movement that made her giggle, James smiled.

"That would be lovely, Miss Evans."

The Danish was well and truly demolished several hours later, as James and Lily sat on her bed and James filled Lily in on what she had missed that day.

"Everyone was worried," he told her quietly. "I don't think you've taken a sick day in your life."

"Probably not, and now I've taken two in a row," Lily admitted ruefully. She bit her lip, deep in thought. "James?" she asked.

"Hmmm?"

"I've been doing some thinking," Lily confessed. "I've been in bed all day… thinking. And I think…" She bit her lip. _What if he said no?_

_Nothing left to lose,_ another voice countered practically. Lily swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. James was watching her patiently, waiting for her to continue. Mustering up her courage, she smiled weakly at him.

"I think… I'd like to… to give us a try. If you still want to."

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**A/N****: How's that for a cliffy? (**_**Laughs evilly)… **_**You want to know what happens, you say? Well, it's really quite simple! The more you review, the sooner I shall update. Sounds fair, no? **

**And while you're waiting, you might like to check out some of my other stories, my community, or drop into my forum and say hi! I'd love to see you guys there… Reviews appreciated xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:****We all know I'm not JKR, and that I'm not trying to take credit for her ideas!**

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**Chapter Fourteen: In which Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff**

James bit his lip. "Give us a try?" he repeated doubtfully.

Inside, his stomach was tumbling about in excitement. _Was Lily asking him out_? Or, as his head seemed to think, _was Lily asking for his friendship_?

His eyes searched her face: her cheeks were pink, the look her eyes enchantingly hopeful.

Lily nodded earnestly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've been a bit stupid," she admitted ruefully, making James laugh.

James' laugh made Lily feel warm. She watched his eyes light up in delight.

"A bit?"

"A lot," she conceded, looking at him questioningly. "What do you think?"

James scratched his head, and made a split-second decision that he was_positive_ he was going to regret. "I think you're at the tail end of the world's biggest hangover. I think you've just stumbled out of a very messy relationship. I think that as much as I want to say yes, I don't want to be rebound boy."

Lily frowned, blushing. _He was saying no_?

"I'm not saying no," James quickly countered, reading the look on her face so well that Lily was amazed. "I just want you to be sure that I'm – that I…"

"That you're the right choice?" Lily supplied helpfully, before kicking herself. "But I _am_ sure, James. I'm just… seeing things clearly for once."

James smiled. His hazel eyes regarded her fondly, and his thumb stroked her hand. Lily watched him, amazed. He'd been after her for years, and all of a sudden…

James drew a deep breath, fully prepared to tell what was possibly one of the bigger lies of his life.

"Lily, I've fancied you for years. A few weeks here or there isn't going to make much of a difference to me, is it?"

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"_She_ asked _you_ out?"

Sirius looked skywards, as if fully expecting for the clear blue day to come crashing down on their heads any minute now. James sighed, and ruffled his hair, frustrated. How their talk had changed so suddenly from Quidditch tactics for the upcoming match, to Lily, James didn't know, but he certainly didn't like it.

Remus and Peter were watching him with similarly shocked expressions.

Sirius shook his head. "Mate, if it was me, I'd be looking a lot more cheerful right now."

James shrugged. "It's complicated," he muttered unhappily.

Remus rolled his eyes, regarding James suspiciously. Suddenly, realisation hit him, and he choked.

"You said _no?!"_

James lay back on the grass of the Quidditch Pitch and closed his eyes. The question had been inevitable, and yet he found himself unprepared to face it. And, really, the boys had a point. Why _had_ he said no? Lily Evans, object of his affections, had asked him out!

Really, it all came down to her reasoning. Why on earth did she want to go out with him, all of a sudden?

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Emmeline sat back and set her quill down, looking both satisfied and amused. "Good," she said, pushing her homework away with a satisfied sigh.

"Good! He said _no_, Em. Not even Potter likes me anymore," Lily ended, looking despondent. Frowning, she picked up Emmeline's homework and began to read it, fully intending to be as critical as she could. Then she'd see how much Emmeline liked criticism.

Emmeline smiled and rolled her eyes. "Look at this from James' perspective, Lily. You ask him out hours after you break up with Scamander. Why do you ask him? He doesn't know, and I'm guessing you don't either."

"He wants to make sure it's really him I want to have a relationship with," Lily finished, sighing. Defeated, she set Emmeline's homework back on the table, her urge to edit suddenly dissipated. "I know, he told me. I just don't know why I'm not suddenly allowed to have an epiphany, you know?"

Emmeline shrugged. "Prove it to him," she suggested, quirking her eyebrow in a dare. "What do you have to lose?"

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"Right, troops! We've been practicing for weeks, and this is it. Tomorrow, we're facing Hufflepuff, and we want to win."

Remus leant against the wall of the change room, standing removed from the team. He couldn't help but admire Sirius' uncanny impersonation of a general going to war. Peter perched on the bench beside him, adding the finishing flourishes to a Gryffindor poster.

"How's that, Moony?" he asked, tongue poking out between his teeth in concentration as he added a touch of gold to the lion's mane.

Remus grinned. The lion was looking particularly fearsome as it reared over the cowering badger.

"Perfect, Wormtail."

Peter grinned. "Good."

Drawing out his wand, the smaller boy waved it over the banner, and immediately the caricatures came to life. The lion yawned; its jaws huge as it displayed its teeth. The badger shot him a look of apprehension and backed away, but all the lion did was curl up and fall asleep.

Sirius surveyed his team as they reclined around the change room. James and Emmeline were talking in soft whispers. Jordan was throwing a Quaffle to Reaser, who was beating it to keeper Williams with his bat, and Wood was playing with the Snitch, as always. And there were Moony and Wormtail, leaning over a banner… Sirius leant back against the wall with a sigh and closed his eyes. Immediately, his mind drifted back up to his dorm, to the letter hidden beneath the false bottom of his trunk. Thankfully, what with all the drama surrounding Scamander, everyone seemed to have forgotten about Sirius' little episode. Everyone but Sirius, that was. In his mind's eye, the letter unfurled, the word inheritance leaping from the page to engulf him…

"Padfoot, you all right?"

James' voice cut through his thoughts, and Sirius opened his eyes to see that the team was regarding him strangely.

"Yeah, fine," he mumbled, before smiling. "So as I was saying before,_tactics_…"

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"Haven't seen much of Snivelly lately," Sirius remarked casually as the Marauders made their way back up to the Gryffindor tower. "I'm starting to miss him."

"Well I'll be sure to pass on your sentiments," a snide voice replied from behind them.

Spinning, the four boys came face to face with Regulus Black.

Peter looked between the brothers, fascinated. Their relationship had always intrigued him; being an only child, he found it odd that anyone with a sibling would despise him so mercilessly.

"What do you want, Regulus?" Sirius snarled.

Peter watched his friends. Remus' face was carefully impassive, although Peter couldn't help but notice he kept his wand was within his reach. James looked frightening, wand already gripped in his hands. His face was unreadable, hazel eyes glittering coldly. Sirius looked furious, hate etched into every contortion.

Regulus smiled. "Father was wondering if you received your letter," the fifth year announced silkily. "He wants you to know that he is ashamed that you of all people was made Alphard's heir, and to ensure that you put your inheritance to… good use."

"Inheritance?" James countered sharply. "What inheritance?"

Sirius winced, and Regulus' smile broadened. "Oh," he said softly. "Didn't you tell them? Don't want your friends to know? Ashamed, are you?"

"What's he talking about, Sirius?" James asked quietly.

"I… er… inherited some money, from my… my uncle, Alphard."

Regulus raised his eyebrows. "_Some_ money? Oh, Father will be pleased. Lets not call a mudblood a wizard, brother. You inherited a _fortune_ of dirty Black money, and you don't want your precious friends to think of you any worse. But as much as you try to deny it, you _are_ a Black, Sirius, and one day you'll have to accept that, and our dirty money."

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"When were you going to tell us?"

Remus' voice was soft, gentle even. Sirius was going to be sick.

"Eventually," he mumbled, unhappily. "Once I'd gotten rid of it."

"Surely any money is good money?" Peter ventured tentatively.

Sirius shook his head, miserable, and then dared to look at James. His best friend had been silent the entire trip back to the dorms, and Sirius was mentally preparing himself for James' anger.

Much to Sirius' surprise, James met his eyes and grinned. "I think it's brilliant."

"You_what?_" Sirius' voice cracked.

"You're free! They've been sitting smugly waiting for my parents to get sick of you, which they won't, by the way, and for you to come home with your tail between your legs. Don't you see? You'll never have to ask them for anything ever again!"

Sirius blinked. Well it certainly wasn't the reaction he had expected.

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"You know, I don't think we've had such a good feast in a while," Sirius announced happily, making Tibby the house-elf beam with pleasure.

Peter grinned. "Didn't expect anything less," he reassured the elf, scratching his sandy blonde head.

Snape made a noise of displeasure from the ceiling, where he had been levitated and gagged some half hour previously.

"Don't even think of spitting in our food," James told him sternly.

"Well, here's to inheritance," Remus grinned, raising his bottle of butterbeer.

Sirius grinned. "No. Here's to us winning the game tomorrow. That's much more important."

"To Gryffindor!" James echoed, clinking his bottle with relish

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James stumbled up to bed, hoping to Merlin that Lily hadn't waited up for him. He had decided during the course of the day that Lily probably wasn't lying: if she said she wanted to go out with _him_, she probably meant it. Nevertheless, James' parents had brought him up as a gentleman, and if one disregarded the pranks he pulled as a Marauder, he had more or less honoured that upbringing so far. Now was not the time to change.

Lily had indeed _not_ waited up for him, and although James was secretly relieved, he was also a little disappointed. He prepared for bed quietly, and just before he drifted off to sleep, he made a secret resolution: if he was going to woo Lily Evans, he was going to go about it the right way.

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When James emerged from his room the next morning, he found Lily waiting for him on the lounge.

"Morning," she smiled brightly, eyeing his messy black hair with what she found to be a surprising amount of fondness.

James grinned. Lily's hair was down, rich red waves cascading over her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink, and her Gryffindor scarf hung loosely around her neck.

"Coming to the match today?" he asked hopefully.

Lily's eyes glittered. "I wouldn't miss it," she said, so sincerely that James' stomach gave an uncomfortable yet pleasant flutter.

"May I walk you to breakfast, Miss Evans?" he asked gallantly, offering his arm to her.

Lily laughed. "You may, Mr. Potter. It would be my pleasure."

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"And it's Barrow with the Quaffle – passes to Fletchley – Abbott – Barrow – narrowly avoids Reaser's bludger – Potter intercepts! – Back to- Fletchley intercepts, flies for Wood, and it's Fletchley, Fletchley… Hufflepuff scores! That's 160 – 0 to Hufflepuff."

Lily winced. The Gryffindor team regrouped in mid air, all looking solemn. Peter, next to her, shook his head and loosened his Gryffindor scarf.

"This is just embarrassing," he muttered. "I've never seen Prongs play so badly."

Lily looked at him, startled. "I thought he was doing well!"

Indeed, James had spent the better half of the last hour swooping around the Quidditch pitch in a remarkable display of flying prowess; in fact, Lily concluded that it was very unfortunate that he had not managed to score any goals. For that matter, it really was very unfortunate that _no one_ on the Gryffindor side had managed to score any goals.

Peter gave her a dark look. "Lily, James is the best chaser Hogwarts has."

"Really?"

"Don't tell me you've never seen him play before," Peter mocked, shaking his head again. "I don't know what's wrong, but he's showing off today and Padfoot looks pissed."

Lily blinked. "Sirius does look rather angry, doesn't he? No, I haven't seen James play before, actually," she countered.

Peter choked. "Good Merlin."

Peter stood. Grabbing Lily's hand, he took off through the stands, and they raced toward ground level, a very confused Head Girl hanging on for her life. _What on earth has gotten into him?_ She wondered, slightly alarmed as she watched him send red sparks into the air to catch Sirius' attention.

The sparks, Lily noted, seemed to do the trick, as Sirius finally noticed the pair approaching the pitch and called for a time out. As one, the Gryffindor team turned and flew downwards, landing on the pitch with a soft "thump."

Lily looked at Peter questioningly.

He nodded at her, looking strangely determined. "James is showing off_for you_. Talk to him. I'll take care of the rest."

The Gryffindor team approached Lily and Peter, looking confused. Peter called Sirius forward, and the two of them bent their heads together, talking furiously.

James coughed from behind her, startling Lily. She met his eyes, surprised.

"What's going on?" he whispered into her ear, breath tickling her neck.

Lily shrugged. "I don't know – actually, could I have a word?"

James nodded curiously, and Lily lead him a little further away from the team. He watched her cheeks, smiling. _He'd made her blush!_

"Peter tells me you're showing off," Lily said flatly. "He says you're the best player this school has, and that you're being an idiot trying to impress me."

Now, it was James' turn to blush. "I – I don't-" he stuttered.

Lily held up a hand. "Prove it. I have faith in you: I think you can win this, James. You just have to believe it."

James bit his lip, sighed, and nodded. "You're probably right," he conceded.

Lily grinned. "Go and prove it to me, James Potter."

She gave his hand a little squeeze, and as if by magic, a sudden resolve seemed to fill him. They could win this match: they had to.

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"Did you see that dive?!"

"He just swooped, and scored!"

"Incredible!"

"And how about the dummy goal? Jordan was brilliant!"

"Vance nearly took out their Keeper!"

"Wood's catch, classy as always!"

The Gryffindor Common Room was buzzing with excitement. Peter's banner had been mounted across the wall, along with several duplications, and the Gryffindors were in the middle of their celebratory feast. The portrait hole swung open and James and Sirius returned, their arms once more full of food, to the roars of approval from their fellow house-mates.

James grinned as the roar of the Gryffindor Team song lit on the air:

'_Trust in Potter, he's the best!_

_And Wood can out-fly all the rest!_

_Williams guards so strong and proud;_

_And Vance the infallible stuns the crowd!_

_Reaser will never misjudge his aim;_

_With Jordan too we'll win the game!_

_Black, his beater's bat swings true,_

_Gryffindor are champions through and through!'_

"So," said a voice in James' ear. "Can I say I told you so?"

James turned, grinning, to Lily, and picked her up in a hug. Smiling, she hugged him back, feeling that the entire gesture was really quite promising.

"Thanks for believing in me," he told her, setting her down again gently, and taking her hand. His thumb massaged her palm in little circles that Lily found quite distracting.

James' smile broadened as she saluted him. "Never doubted for a minute."

James nodded. "Butterbeer?" he offered. "Shouldn't you be busy celebrating with Vance the infallible?"

"I wanted to see you," she admitted quietly.

James' smile fell, and he frowned at her, suddenly thoughtful. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means… I was serious when I said that… about us."

James sighed, and jerked his head, drawing her away from the party.

"Lily, you know I adore you," he told her quietly. "And I know that you were serious."

Lily bit her lip. "Then what's the problem?"

James pinched her nose fondly. "No problem. I'm just going to go about this the right way, all right? Just… trust me."

Lily nodded, although she couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes. "I trust you."

James smiled tenderly, and kissed her on the cheek. "Good- gah!"

Lily and James turned to glare at Sirius, who was brandishing a camera and a big grin. "Thought you two might like a happy snap," he grinned. "To celebrate."

Lily glared at him; James, on the other hand, grinned. "Thanks mate. Shall we get back to the party, Lily?" he asked with a pointed look.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll leave you two to it."

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"What does going about it the right way _mean_, anyway?" Lily muttered darkly to no one in particular as she made her way back to the Head's Wing later that night.

James and Sirius had disappeared from the party some hours earlier, and Lily had the terrible idea that they were up to something again. Even Emmeline's cheerful tipsy-ness and reassurance that James was being romantic hadn't dampened the terrible feeling that something odd was going on.

When Lily entered the Head's Tower, the fire was banked, and the door to James' room was shut. Sighing, Lily cleaned her teeth and went up to bed.

Opening the curtains that hung closed around her four-poster bed, Lily gasped. Rose petals were scattered across her bedspread, and arranged on her pillow was a photo.

Curiously, Lily picked it up. It was the picture that Sirius had taken only that evening: a moving wizard's photograph, where the behaviour of the images reflected their true feelings. Lily hid a smile, watching the photographic likenesses of her and James, and a warm, fuzzy feeling tingled through her chest. The James in the photograph didn't kiss Lily on the cheek: instead he leant in and kissed her long and passionately on the lips. And the Lily in the photograph wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back.

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**A/N****: Sorry about the wait, I've been suffering a touch of writers block. Consequently, this chapter isn't as long as usual: but never fear, because next chapter is on its way, full of mischief and maraudering mishaps! I'd like to thank all my reviewers; your continual support means a lot. As always, your reviews /concrit /flames will be appreciated! Lexie xx**

**A Note to My Anonymous Reviewers**

**While i will reply to every signed review personally, i don't respond to anonymous reviews on the grounds that i'd like to keep my email private! so thanks so much to those anonymous reviewers: i really do appreciate you too! amanda, and nicole, and sam, and particularly su and isabella (who both have the same email? but consistently review!), as well as anyone else who has dropped an anonymous review - they certainly don't go unappreciated!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer****: Harry Potter, and any ideas, characters and settings relating to the books, belongs to JKR. I just play with her ideas. **

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**Chapter Fifteen: In which Peter loses the Map**

James was going to miss breakfast, if the big golden hands of his Golden Snitch clock were anything to go by. Leaping out of bed, he swore softly and pulled on a pair of pants, grabbing his school shirt and making a dash for the stairs. The Head's Tower was silent: Lily was probably already at breakfast, ready to plunge back into a week of lessons. Slipping his arms through the sleeves of his rumpled shirt, he flew into the bathroom and made straight to the vanity.

"Good morning," said a voice behind him, exceptionally cheerful.

Mouth already full of toothpaste, James turned, frowning, to ask Lily what exactly she was doing in the Tower when she _should_ be down at breakfast.

Lily watched James turn, caught halfway between extreme embarrassment and carefree amusement. She watched as his lovely hazel eyes widened in shock as they drifted down her body, taking in her bare legs, and most importantly, the fluffy white towel that she had clutched around her. Feeling she ought to do or say _something_ to break the ice, Lily waved.

"Bit keen, aren't you?"

James whirled and spat out his toothpaste, took one further, alarmed glance at Lily and hightailed it out of the bathroom. Lily listened to the door slam, a small smile spreading across her face. _Serves him right for not knocking._

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When Lily emerged from the bathroom several minutes later, she found an extremely anxious James perched on the edge of one of the plush red lounges, wringing his hands. His glasses were perched on top of his head, where he had pushed them impatiently, unable to decide whether he wanted to obliviate himself or treasure the memory of a semi-naked Lily forever. His shirt still hung open, his tie slung around the collar haphazardly, and all in all, Lily couldn't help but think that he looked positively adorable.

"I'm so sorry, Lily. I should have knocked, or at least said something, and please don't hate me, I'm so embarrassed…"

"It's fine, James."

James met her eyes, amazed. "Wha- _What_?"

"It's fine. You probably should have knocked, but you didn't see anything you shouldn't have, and you look so upset that I think I'm just going to have to forgive you."

James cleared his throat, and looked away again. Suddenly, he appeared to realize that his shirt was hanging half open, and made to button it up, making a poor show of hiding his strangely trembling hands.

"So what did you mean, I was a bit keen?" he asked in the meekest voice that Lily had ever heard.

Lily grinned, making James blush. "Oh, you know," she replied offhandedly, going to perch next to him. "It _is_ Sunday, after all."

James groaned. "Lily Evans, swear to me you're telling the truth."

Lily's eyes widened, surprised, and she nodded very gently, as if she were talking to someone who was a little slow. "Sunday, Potter. Day after the big Quidditch win? Don't you have some gloating to do, or something?" she teased.

James shook his head, watching her eyes sparkle. Lily was teasing _him_ of all people? Not that he didn't deserve it; in fact, James was very sure that he _did_ deserve some decent teasing. In the approximately twenty minutes that he'd been awake, he had already made a fool of himself twice. An excellent start to the day, if ever he'd had one. Feeling he had nothing more to lose, James decided to go out on a limb.

"Lily, since I've suddenly gained a whole extra day… can I challenge you to a game of chess?"

Lily eyed James uncertainly. Chess was precisely at the bottom of her extensive to-do list. Having missed three days of school, she had rather a lot to catch up on. And yet – Lily was never one to resist a challenge.

"Sounds like fun," she told him, smiling. "Two conditions. One, you go and change; and two, we get breakfast first."

James smiled. "You drive a hard bargain," he told her, trying to look as though he was thinking the matter over seriously, and failing. "Deal."

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Sirius felt sick. His head was pounding, his eyes bloodshot. _Yes_, Gryffindor had won Quidditch, and he _had_ taken the celebrations very seriously indeed. As Remus often said, if there was ever a conscientious drinker, it was Sirius Black. But now that the Quidditch euphoria, and the alcohol, had dried up, Sirius was left with a throbbing headache, and a very big problem.

A _very_ big problem - namely a very big pile of gold, with his name stamped all over it.

For all that James had seen his so-called windfall as an opportunity to escape, Sirius felt nothing but constricted. To have Black money was a lovely, final reminder from his dearly departed Uncle that no matter how much Sirius tried to deny his heritage, it would always be a part of him, help or hindrance.

"Sirius?"

A voice broke through his thoughts, and Sirius sat up, peeling back rich velvet curtains to find Peter peering down at him.

"Fancy a trip to the kitchens?" he asked hopefully, his eyes glittering with excitement in his boyish face.

Sirius groaned. Food was the _last _thing he felt like.

"Not really, Wormy," he said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible. "Take Moony or Prongs."

Peter grimaced. "Prongs is with Lily, according to the Map. And I don't know where Moony is."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You used to map to spy on Prongs but you didn't think to look for Moony? I bet he's in the library anyway." Sirius muffled a yawn with his hand. "I'm going back to sleep."

Peter frowned as he watched the curtains magically redraw about Sirius' bed. James was busy with Lily (like usual), Remus was probably studying for NEWTS and Sirius planned to sleep all day. Sighing, he perched on the edge of his bed, eyes sweeping the map for something interesting to do. It seemed to Peter that these days, the Marauders didn't have a lot of time to maraud. It had all started with James becoming Head Boy, and Sirius Quidditch Captain. Not to mention that Remus was still a prefect. It seemed to Peter that everyone had a responsibility but him – he was just _there_, existing, and feeling thoroughly neglected at that. Even the Map was more interesting than him. For all the good that it could have done, Peter would have transfigured himself into a statue. At least the other statues would talk to him, then. Now, even they ignored him.

Peter ran his fingers despondently through his mousey hair, wishing for once that it would stick up like James', or flick stylishly around like Sirius', or look tidy like Remus'. Instead, it just sat there, mocking him. Peter was tired of being the ordinary Marauder.

Eyes catching on a name, Peter suddenly smiled. Emmeline was alone in the common room. Maybe he could sit with her, and talk? Merlin knew what he would say; he'd never been more terrified of a girl. Certainly, Peter felt there had never been a prettier girl. As much as James insisted that no one held a candle to Lily, the Head Girl had none of the classic blonde hair and blue-eyed looks of her friend. Maybe, he would tell Emmeline that he was lonely. She might understand. After all, Peter reasoned, there must have been times when she felt _her_ best friend was too busy for her, too. Maybe he could tell her of the great, gaping emptiness that sometimes constricted his chest, late at night when he listened to the boys sleeping. He was a part of them: and yet, he wasn't.

Perhaps, Emmeline would understand.

Refolding the map, Peter stuffed it into his pocket and left the dormitory quietly. He made his way slowly down the echoing stone staircase, planning what he would say. _First he would smile, shyly yet charmingly, and ask how she was. Then, she would ask him to sit, and they might talk about class, and then-_

Peter reached the bottom of the staircase much more quickly than he had anticipated. Drawing a deep breath, he decided rashly that for once, he might be spontaneous. Stepping out onto the ornate rug, he looked around.

_Emmeline wasn't there._

Pulling himself back into the shadow of the staircase, Peter cursed and drew out the map, muttering the password under his breath. There was her dot, making its way along a corridor toward the library. Peter measured their distance with his eyes, tongue protruding between his lips thoughtfully. _Perhaps, if he ran, he might just make it…_

Stuffing the map back into his pocket, he set off across the common room, startling the second years and narrowly missing a fourth years' Gobstones match.

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Several corridors later, Peter had to pull up, panting and clutching the stitch in his side. It pinched, just below his ribs, a cruel reminder of how unfit he had become. And all this for a girl. He shook his head ruefully. Really, he was being just as stupid as James.

And look where it had got James… 

Deciding that the effort was worth it, Peter set off again, rounding the next corner haphazardly –

_SMACK!_

With a painful crunch, Peter felt himself rebound off something and land on the cold, unforgiving flagstone floor. A nasty crunching sound emitted from his wrist as he landed, and pain shot through his arm. Confused and blinking, Peter's eyes darted up to see what he had bumped into. Or rather, who.

Argus Filch leered grimly.

"Running, was it?" he asked, roughly hauling Peter up by his injured wrist and paying no heed to the boy's protests. "But from what?"

The caretaker looked positively gleeful. Peter nursed his wrist, eyeing Filch with the greatest dislike. He could almost _hear_ the thoughts of triumph that were currently whirring around the squib's head. _Caught a Marauder in the act!_ Peter almost snorted, wondering how Filch could be so stupid. Surely if the Marauders were up to something, they would at least be in pairs. Not that the Marauders had done anything particularly exciting for a while now…

"Turn out your pockets, boy."

The direction came as a shock to Peter, who had hoped he might be able to complain his way out of a detention.

Peter sighed. "I'm not up to anything, Sir. And there's nothing in my pockets, see?" As if to illustrate, he pulled out several sickles, a misplaced button and a chocolate frog wrapping.

Filch frowned, looking supremely disappointed, until his beady little eyes spied something else that seemed to have slipped from his captive's pockets. Peter's stomach gave another nasty lurch as he realised that the particularly humble looking scrap of paper Filch was currently picking up was indeed the Marauder's Map.

"What's this?" Filch asked nastily.

Peter winced again, closing his eyes as he attempted to think up a decent lie.

"Just a bit of old paper?" he replied hopefully.

Filch looked particularly smug. "Of course it is, boy. And it's so old and _useless_ that I'll just be taking it with me now."

"Wait!"

But Filch, who had been examining the parchment quite thoroughly, paused, and his eyes widened in shock. _Oh bloody hell_, Peter thought, frustrated. _Of all times for that stupid spell to kick in_…

**_Mr. Moony_**, said the parchment, _**wishes to extend his greetings to Mr. Filch and begs him to return this parchment to his victim.**_

**_Mr. Padfoot agrees, and would like to add that Mr. Filch is a hopeless squib._**

**_Mr. Wormtail would like to enquire whether Mr. Filch really did fall in love with his cat?_**

Filch spluttered with indignation, but the parchment wasn't finished.

**_Mr. Padfoot would like to extend his heartfelt thanks to Mr. Filch for being such a lousy caretaker._**

Peter rolled his eyes. "It's just a piece of paper that insults you, sir. Can I please have it back? I think I need to go and see Madam Pomfrey about my wrist."

Filch's eyes looked set to pop. "Have it back? This-" he brandished the map rather rudely "- deserves to be burnt! You can go, boy, but this isn't coming with you."

And with a further nasty leer, the indignant caretaker turned and stalked off along the corridor, furious.

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"You _WHAT?!_"

Peter winced. Sirius didn't like being woken up at the best of times: and, on further reflection, telling him outright hadn't been the most tactful way to break the news.

"I'm sorry," Peter murmured. "I was trying to catch up to Emmeline, and I ran into Filch, and he made me empty my pockets…"

Sirius looked set to throttle him. Standing and roughly dragging on Peter's newly healed arm, Sirius pulled him out of the dormitory and down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" Peter asked.

Sirius shot him a look full of loathing. "To find the others."

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"Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew requesting entry!" The Carved Witch sung, interrupting Lily and James' third game of chess.

Lily raised her eyebrows at James, who shrugged. "Do you mind?" he asked quietly.

Lily gave him a small smile and shook her head. "Not at all. I have work to catch up on anyway. Go have fun with your friends."

She unfolded her legs from the lounge gracefully and stood up, giving him a gentle touch on the shoulder as she made her way past him to the staircase.

"Let them in, please," she told the Carved Witch, before disappearing up the stairs.

James sighed, watching her vanish behind the fireplace as he struggled not to smile. His eyes met hers' as she appeared on the gallery, and she gave him a playful wave as she slipped into her room, closing the door.

At that moment, however, Sirius stalked into the room, looking furious. He sprawled onto the lounge opposite James, shortly followed by Remus, who looked uncharacteristically angry. Peter hesitated, hovering by James' lounge and biting his lip.

"Go on, tell him," Sirius ordered harshly.

James frowned at his friend. Sirius was prone to short, fiery bursts of anger, but James often felt that his best mate was overreacting. Surely, whatever Peter had done wasn't _that_ bad. Peter flinched at Sirius' words. He turned to James and opened his mouth, then hestitated, choosing instead to re-adjust his gaze. He stared at the armrest where James' hand rested, mortified.

"I – I lost the m-map."

James choked. "You _WHAT?!_ Wormtail! How could you _lose_ the map?"

Remus sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. His frown remained fixed firmly in place. "Sit _down_, Peter," he commanded scathingly. "Actually, he didn't lose it at all. Filch has it."

"_Filch?!"_

Lily lay on her bed, textbooks spread before her, and had just picked up her quill when the shouting started. She glanced up at the door, surprised. In seven years at Hogwarts, she had only ever seen the Marauders argue once, in sixth year. She paused, ears straining to listen. She never _had_ heard the reason for their last fight, but it had certainly been serious. So far as she knew, the Marauders only ever argued over serious things, which was rather ironic considering how rarely they were serious.

"Wormtail, it's like you've just lost our only child!" Sirius yelled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Can't you understand how important that map is?!"

Peter hung his head, not even daring to reply. It simply wasn't worth it.

"Peter, we trusted you! We trusted that if you were going to use the map, you'd take care of it!"

Remus stayed silent, although if the look on his face was anything to go by, he agreed with James and Sirius.

"I didn't mean it," Peter mumbled humbly.

Sirius snorted, but it was James who cut in. "Of course you didn't _mean_ it, Wormtail, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it still happened! How could you be so _stupid?_"

James was breathing rather heavily, but much to Peter's relief he seemed to be calming down now.

"We could just go and get it back?" he suggested hopefully.

Sirius glared at him, while Remus shook his head, signaling him to remain quiet.

The unspoken sentiment roared in Peter's ears. _You've done quite enough damage already. Leave it to us, now. We can sort it out without you._.

"Right," James muttered, appearing to gather his thoughts, although, as Peter suspected, he seemed to be confirming Remus and Sirius' accusatory looks. "Right," he repeated, then looked up at his three friends. "Wormy's right. We'll just have to get it back."

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks of surprise. They obviously hadn't expected James to side with Peter.

"He only lost it because he was chasing after _Emmeline_," Sirius told the boys cruelly, a mocking smile on his face.

Peter gave Sirius a rude gesture in reply. James and Remus hadn't needed to know that, but of course Sirius had known it would embarrass him further. Sirius smirked, as if daring Peter to contradict him...

Suddenly, Sirius' face changed. His expression lightened, as if he'd just had a very good idea.

"Hold on, lads. Maybe we _can_ get it back after all," he abruptly announced.

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"Found anything?" James asked casually. He had draped himself across Filch's nasty, cat-hair infested chair, leaning back so that he was swinging it on its back two legs.

"I think so," Sirius muttered, his voice appearing from the empty air beside the open filing cabinet. "We have our own file, even!" he exclaimed in surprise, and laughed. "Suspected crimes, indeed! Look at this list, Moony. What a load of rubbish!"

"_Duplicatio_," Remus whispered, and a sheaf of parchment appeared in his hands. Hands clutching around in the air, he opened Sirius' cloak and stuck it under his friend's arm.

"Smuggle that out for us, too."

"_Peter_." James' voice sounded a warning from across the dingy room, making Peter jump.

"I thought we told you not to touch anything," James chastised him, frowning and checking his watch. "_Come on _Padfoot. He's sure to be back any minute!"

There was a crash from the far corner; the filing cabinet had slammed shut.

"Padfoot?" Remus murmured questioningly.

"Got it," the invisible boy hissed triumphantly. "Let's go-"

"Well, well, well."

James leapt to his feet, Filch's chair landing on the floor with a crash behind him.

Filch was leaning in his doorway, once more leering unpleasantly. _Is he even capable of another facial expression_? Peter thought scathingly, before dismissing that fleeting thought. _No, of course he isn't-_

He was interrupted by Filch, who was trying his best to sound menacing. "And who do we have here?"

"Oh," James smiled easily, making his way toward the caretaker. "I was waiting for you, Mr. Filch, sir. Lily and I need some more detention slips."

From behind him, James heard Remus expel the breath he had been holding.

Filch blinked, unprepared for such an authoritative, or indeed legitimate, response.

"And what are these two hooligans doing in here, then?" he peered at Peter, eyes glittering in the dim candlelight. "Didn't I confiscate something from you this morning, boy?"

Peter opened his mouth to stutter an honest reply, when James swiftly cut him off.

"These are my _friends_," he told the caretaker severely. "Remus is also a prefect. They were waiting with me. And besides, you can't have confiscated something from Peter," he added offhandedly. "He's been with me all day."

Filch blinked, clearly uncomfortable with a student who offered such plausible answers.

"All right," he said slowly, still regarding them all suspiciously.

The caretaker walked around to the side of his desk and roughly pulled open a drawer. Taking out a fat stack of papers, he handed them roughly to James.

"There you go, Potter. On your way, now."

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"I can't believe we got away with that," Remus murmured breathlessly as he collapsed into an armchair beside the fire in the Gryffindor common room. .

Sirius nodded, smirking. "Very stylish, Prongs. Maybe your being Head Boy isn't such a bad thing after all."

James rolled his eyes. He was comfortably sprawled across a lounge and looked, in Peter's opinion, extremely regal. "Nothing to it, Paddy," he replied easily.

Peter perched nervously on the armrest of James' lounge, unsure as to his current standing with his friends. Sirius lounged on the rug, and flicked his fringe from his face with a casual elegance that Peter didn't think was humanely possible. Suddenly Sirius sat up, and wandered over to Remus' chair to whisper something into his ear. Remus frowned.

Peter looked away, eyes traveling to James, who met his gaze and blinked back calmly.

"No harm done," he told Peter softly, sitting up and making room for him.

Peter smiled at him gratefully and took a seat, staring hard into the fire. _At least James had forgiven him_, he thought, relieved. _Although, knowing James, he would _always_ forgive him. _Because James Potter was just that sort of person, really.

Several minutes passed in silence before Peter tore his eyes way from the fire. Sirius had now pulled out the coveted map, and was stroking it fondly as his eyes swept it searchingly. Remus pursed his lips and muttered something, gesturing furtively toward James and Peter's lounge.

Peter checked his watch, and found that much to his surprise, it was nearly dinnertime.

Sirius seemed to have the same thoughts, because he stood abruptly and handed the map to Remus. Then, much to Peter's shock, he extended his hand toward him.

"No hard feelings, Wormtail?"

Peter gulped and shook his hand. "No," he agreed quietly.

Sirius grinned. "Good. Dinner, then, shall we?"

With a significant look to Remus, he swept out of the common room with unusual speed.

James frowned questioningly at Remus, but the sandy haired boy merely shrugged, although his eyes suggested something more was going on than he wanted to let on. Making a point to get up slowly - and making a show of safely tucking the map away - Remus jerked his head toward the portrait hole. "Shall we?"

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Emmeline had been heading back up to the Gryffindor Tower to put her books back into her dorm before dinner. _Had_, being the operative word. Because, just as she had turned the final corner and was making her way toward the Fat Lady, the portrait hole had swung open and Sirius Black had emerged, looking none too surprised to see her.

"_Hullo, Emmeline_," he had said, softly. And then-

Emmeline heard the crash of her books hitting the floor, and felt the rough, cool wall pressed at her back, but nothing could had prepared her for this. _Sirius Black was kissing her_?

Emmeline had to respond to her own question with an affirmative. Sirius had certainly just pushed her against the wall, and had proceeded to press his lips to hers. She gasped, breath catching in her throat as a jolt ran through her body. In fact, she had to say that Sirius wasn't simply kissing her. Emmeline was pretty sure that this whole – _experience_ – qualified as a passionate snog. An entirely unexpected passionate snog. It was all she could do not to smile, and to instead kiss him back.

Someone coughed, and Sirius broke away from the kiss quite suddenly, although his lips still lingered beside hers'. Slowly, they turned to look toward the source of the noise.

James blinked at his best friend, feeling numb. Sirius blinked back, looking quite self-assured. Beside him, Emmeline looked very flushed and pretty, glancing up at Sirius in surprise and admiration. Feeling Peter tense beside him, James inwardly groaned. _Tell me he didn't just-_

The grim look on Remus' face seemed to confirm James' suspicions. James placed a restraining hand on Peter's shoulder, and gave Sirius a look that felt halfway between a grimace and a forced smile.

"What's going on here?"

His voice was quiet, almost dangerously so, but so very smooth and just a little warm.

Emmeline seemed to be looking at Sirius with a similar question.

"Yes," she murmured, voice low and silky smooth. "What _was_ that all about, Sirius?"

Sirius smirked.

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**A/N:**** Yet another lovely cliffy for you. Well! What **_**was**_** that all about, indeed? Love to hear your thoughts! Thanks once again to all my reviewers, you are so deeply appreciated that I can't fully express it in words. Thanks for reading, as always! **

**Lexie xx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer****: Harry Potter and all related ideas belong to JKR. The plot is mine. **

**A/N: Mildly edited to fit the new Deathly Hallows canon. It may not be obvious to spot - but readers, you _have_ been warned...**

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**Chapter Sixteen: In which a ball is proposed**

"Can I talk to you?"

Lily looked up, startled, to find James leaning in her doorway looking thoroughly confused and just a little angry.

Lily sat up, patting the bed beside her. "Of course you can. And while you're here, we can have a Head's Meeting too – Dumbledore owled me."

Making his way across the now familiar room, James gave Lily a quizzical look. "Head's Meeting?"

"Well, loads of students are staying here this holidays: their parents seem to think they'll be safer here. So _Dumbledore_ said, you know, why don't we throw a ball? Get a little Christmas spirit going and, _oh, perfect!_ Lily, you can organize it!"

"You're being sarcastic."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Naturally."

Lily watched James as he moved to recline across her bed. The tall, lanky, handsome as hell James Potter was sprawling himself across her bed. Lily bit her lip, secretly furious. Was he flaunting himself in front of her on _purpose?_

"You do realize I'm not going to ask you to the ball, right?" James told her, a satisfied smile stretching across his lips.

Which seemed to confirm things, once and for all. James Potter was a tease.

"Not?" Lily repeated, stunned and just a little insulted.

It was all James could do not to laugh. _Lily wants me to ask her!_ His heart sung.

James regained his composure and shook his head. "No, I'm not, Lily."

"What if I ask you?" Lily replied, rather (and overly) loftily.

James just grinned. "Then I'll say no."

James watched her reaction. To put it simply, the Head Girl looked stunned. She was sitting there, and her beautiful eyes were glittering murderously and her messy ponytail looked so… adorable, and there he was, lying across her bed, saying that he didn't want her.

James Potter was a liar.

Lily was considering whether she should hex him or throttle him. Both seemed to be outrageously appealing.

James sat up, and suddenly he shuffled closer. Lily's throat caught in her breath.

"But seriously, Lily, we have something a little more urgent to discuss," he told her, his voice low, and oddly grim. His breath tickled her ear.

Lily looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"Sirius kissed Emmeline."

Lily quirked an eyebrow. "And?"

"Sirius kissed Emmeline because Peter messed up and did something stupid and Sirius wanted to get him back so he kissed Emmeline and Emmeline doesn't know that Sirius kissed her because he was getting Peter back."

"Oh."

Lily watched James' hazel eyes, and bit her lip again. She liked the way his eyes flickered when she did this. For all that Lily could sense that ominous feeling of impending social disaster that seemed to have spread from James' words, her mind was blank to all but one thought:

_Why won't _James_ kiss _me?

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"You do realize that James is just being a gentleman again," Emmeline muttered disinterestedly, toying with her scrambled eggs the next morning, a dreamy look dancing across her face every time she glanced toward the Marauders.

Lily rolled her eyes and took a sip of pumpkin juice. "I'm sick of James being a gentleman, Em. I'm tired of waiting for him to make the first move. Maybe I'll just have to do something first?"

Emmeline shrugged. "Find a date for the ball, make him jealous. I don't care."

Lily gave her best friend a scathing look. "Oh don't be so cliché," she told her scornfully.

"Maybe you should kiss him?" Emmeline grinned. "Kisses are good. I'd go out with someone who kissed me."

Lily almost choked on her toast. "Emmeline Vance, if I'm not mistaken, you once told me that Sirius Black was your friend and your Quidditch Captain, and that you wouldn't ever think of him like that."

"But that," Emmeline told Lily, her tone practical," was before Sirius kissed me."

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"I shouldn't have done it," Sirius moaned, head in his hands.

"Have some bacon," Remus murmured sympathetically, shooting a glance at James, who simply glowered at Sirius.

"You're right," the Head Boy told his best friend shortly. "You shouldn't have done it."

Sirius looked haunted. His eyes were blacker than usual, and the familiar sparkle of mischief was gone. Sirius was notorious for not thinking things through, but James was pretty sure that this one took the cake, figuratively.

"It's all my fault," Peter muttered, munching on a bagel. "If I hadn't made you angry, you wouldn't have wanted to get me back."

"Wormy, you idiot, don't make excuses for me," Sirius told him woefully.

Someone cleared their throat behind the boys, and James turned to find Lily standing there.

For the third time in probably twelve hours, Lily was biting her lip. James found it incredibly attractive, and forced back a smile, settling instead for a look of polite interest.

Lily leant forward to whisper in James' ear. "I think we might have a problem with Em."

James nodded slowly, and winked at the boys, who were watching him curiously. "That doesn't surprise me," he whispered back. "Can we distract her?"

Lily seemed to consider this, before smiling slightly. "We _could_... Benjy Fenwick. Get him to ask Em to the ball and she'll forget all about Sirius."

James nodded again, and smiled back. "Good. That's a plan. Was there anything else?"

Lily hesitated. "Emmeline says I should get another date to the ball," she told him, eyes dancing playfully. "But I think that I might go single. I haven't done anything by myself for a while, now."

James raised his eyebrows, but really he was bursting in pride. That was exactly what he wanted: for Lily to decide to do something for herself, not for any one else.

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"Today, I have a challenge for you all," Slughorn announced jovially. "I know that this year, a lot of the more complex potions we've been using have very little relevance to the outside world. We have, essentially, been examining potions in order to admire their intricacies, and not for any practical purpose."

James and Sirius exchanged looks of utmost boredom. It was not unusual for Slughorn to rave about his love for potions, but some days he took it too far. Lily, sitting much closer to the front, looked fascinated nevertheless. Prodding Sirius and gesturing to Lily, the boys hid their smiles.

"So today, I want to provoke your young minds into thought, and thus I issue you with a challenge. I want you to take a potion, and I want you to reshape it for a new purpose."

Lily glanced at Emmeline. She looked, in Emmeline's opinion, disturbingly excited.

"Free range of the potions lab!" she muttered, low and fast. "Imagine what we can do!"

Emmeline simply rolled her eyes.

"I'm assigning you partners," Slughorn continued, oblivious to his class' obvious disinterest.

"Lupin, Bulstrode. Black, Vance. Evans-"

James' ears pricked up. Beside him, Sirius was looking positively sick.

"Oh, this is cruel," he muttered under his breath. "Cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel."

"-Snape. Potter, Fenwick. Goyle, Diggory."

"Hey Sirius. "

Sirius glanced up, fixing a false smile on his face. "Hey Em."

James surreptitiously packed up his things, but not before he heard Sirius begin awkwardly:

"Em, about the other night…"

Making his way across the room, James winced as he heard the distinctive sound of cauldron-to-skull contact.

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_Thump_

Lily jumped as Severus Snape set his cauldron and textbook on her table. 

"Lily." 

All but ignoring the curt greeting, Lily refused to meet his eyes, instead focusing on her own textbook. Feeling it would be rude not to respond, she politely turned up the corners of her mouth in a semblance of a smile - one she knew he'd see right through, although she didn't particularly care. 

"Sev." 

Snape looked strangely relieved as he slipped into Emmeline's vacated seat. 

"Listen, Lily, I understand if you don't want to-" 

"What were you thinking of?" Lily interrupted conversationally. Snape looked baffled until she added," For the potion, I mean."

Snape raised his brows at her brisk rejection. He sighed, pushing his greasy hair back from his face. 

"I was thinking of making the Monksblood potion," he suggested quietly.

Lily frowned, still flicking through her textbook, although she didn't even bother to scan the pages. Her voice was absent, careless, as she dared to question him. "Why on earth would you want to make that?" 

Snape shrugged, flicking through his own book now, although he found the page he sought almost immediately. "I wasn't thinking of it from the monks angle, Lily. I was thinking of it more as _wolfsbane_." 

Lily's head snapped up, her eyes meeting his for the first time in almost a year. They were searching, _accusing_, even angry. 

"What for?" 

Snape knew a challenge when he saw it. He stood, suddenly, drawing himself up to his full height. "For the sake of experimentation."

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"Did you hear we're planning a ball?" James asked Benjy conversationally as they sat together, cutting up hyssop stalks, their silence companionable.

Benjy looked at him sidelong. "Really? For Christmas? Are you going to ask Lily?"

James was shocked by that knowing smile. He laughed. "Perhaps. How about you?"

Benjy shrugged, and glanced toward Sirius and Emmeline's table, where the pair were now arguing in harsh whispers over the rather large dent in Emmeline's cauldron.

"I don't know," he replied, eyes sweeping the room to land back on James. "There's not really anyone I could ask, you know?"

James frowned. "Weren't you and Marlene-?" he asked.

Benjy looked away again. "Nah, man. I asked her, but we just didn't seem to _click_, you know?"

James could have sworn Benjy had glanced at Emmeline again for the second time in as many minutes. As if to verify, Benjy sighed.

"Those two make an odd couple," he smiled reluctantly, nodding toward Sirius and Emmeline.

James scoffed. "They're not a couple. Sirius doesn't want a girlfriend, and Emmeline doesn't like him like that anyway."

Benjy looked doubtful. "What's this I hear about a kiss then?"

"Sirius was pranking Peter," James replied, semi-truthfully.

Benjy nodded again, cool as the cusps of the iced Mandrake malt he was now shredding.

"You should ask her, you know," James told him seriously. "What do you have to lose?"

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"You dented my cauldron," Emmeline hissed, her face red with anger.

Sirius smirked. "It wouldn't have dented if someone hadn't _thrown_ it at me."

"You deserved it," Emmeline cried out, stung. "You used me!"

She looked away, in a futile attempt to hide the sudden emotion in her eyes.

Sirius placed a hand gently on hers, but she pulled away.

"Vance, will you look at me?"

He sounded so frustrated that Emmeline felt victorious. _She_ had ruffled Sirius Black!

"Fine, I'll talk to the back of your head. I was angry with Peter, and we all know he likes you. So I kissed you, to get him back. And I didn't think. Despite what you may think about me, I _am_ sorry. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression, Em."

Emmeline sniffed. "You're a bastard, you know that?"

Sirius hung his head. "I am," he admitted, so softly that Emmeline nearly missed his words.

She turned to look at him incredulously. "And you're a manipulative, conniving idiot."

"Worse," he admitted. He looked up, and met her eyes. "Lets make no mistake, Vance. I know exactly what I am, and I've never pretended to be anything different. I'm dark and twisted and cynical."

Emmeline gave him a trace of a smile. "That you are."

Sirius nodded matter-of-factly. "I think it's genetic, personally," he confided, and her smile grew, just a millimetre. "So, can you forgive me?"

Although the smirk that had crept onto his face suggested differently, Emmeline read the sincerity in his eyes. "Just this once, Black. Don't you dare do it again, though, mind you."

"Being productive, I see," Slughorn interrupted, frowning.

"We were discussing which potion to make, sir," Emmeline told him, widening her blue eyes innocently.

Slughorn's mustache fluttered as he smiled. "And what have you decided on?" he asked.

Emmeline felt Sirius elbow her. "We were thinking-"

"Amortentia, sir. I never could master it," Sirius interrupted, giving Slughorn a dashing smile.

Slughorn inclined his head. "Very well, then, off you go."

"I can't believe you were flirting with Sluggy," Sirius muttered as they dug into the store cupboard. He shivered in disgust. "I thought that was beneath you, Emmeline."

Emmeline scoffed. "Don't go lecturing _me_ on standards, Black, you filthy hypocrite."

"At your service," the boy returned cheerfully.

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Lily watched her potion bubble, torn. Snape was going out of his way to be nice to her - apologetic, even. And Lily, who had made it quite clear that an apology was no longer welcome, found herself almost forgetting what had even passed... 

A laugh sounded from across the room, and she turned to see James and Benjy chuckling over their cauldron. In that split second, James looked up and caught her eye, and smiled. Lily smiled back, and as she did so, she felt Snape stiffen beside her, affronted. 

"That's new." His voice was soft, and yet Lily didn't miss that tone of resignation. 

She nodded and glanced sideways at him. "He's a good person, Sev." 

Snape scoffed, leaning over the cauldron and examining its contents, in an attempt to hide the hurt in his eyes."Well you deserve to be happy, Lily."  
His tone was lighter than he intended, and so false that Lily saw right through it. "After the disaster with Scamander I thought maybe... But no, if you really do like Potter, if you're sure that he's..." 

Lily opened her mouth to respond, surprised. "James is a good person, Sev. I know you don't believe me, but frankly-" 

Evidently, Snape did not wish to be frank. He produced three vials and proceeded to fill them, lips tightly drawn together. He pushed two across the table towards her. 

"Here. Tell your _friend_ to try this. It might help with..." He trailed off, shrugging. "I'll hand this in." 

Lily bit her lip, eyeing the vials. Snape was quite correct; he was not the only one who had helped to produce the potion, after all. Lily knew very well the potential that the contents of those two small vials could fulfil. The trouble was, she also knew the risk. 

On the other hand, Snape had gone to such a length to produce a peace offering... Lily pocketed the vials thoughtfully.

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Somewhere toward the end of the double period, James and Benjy's potion exploded. James, who had been away from the cauldron, was talking to Sirius and Emmeline, and testing their Amortentia. Leaning in for another long whiff, James caught the scent of dewy grass, sweet vanilla and a hint of citrus that reminded James intensely of Quidditch and Lily.

Sirius leant over, in suit, and inhaled deeply. James watched him carefully, and didn't miss the flicker of surprise in his eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

"What was it?" James asked, grinning.

Sirius simply shook his head.

"Well _I_ smell a wood fire, and old parchment, and caramel fudge," Emmeline announced, smiling dreamily. She turned to Sirius, raising her eyebrows in a look of superiority. "And _none_ of that reminds me _one bit_ of you, Black."

James could have sworn he saw Sirius wince.

"Caramel fudge?" Benjy had called from beside his cauldron, before ambling over. "I _love_ caramel fudge. Mum makes it every week and sends me some, you know."

"Back to your cauldron, boys!" Slughorn berated them.

Obediently, Benjy hurried back, and that was when it happened.

"Gah!" cried the poor boy, covered head to toe in a sticky brown substance.

Slughorn waddled over, with a haste that was unusual for such a large man.

"Vance!" he barked. "You and Black seem finished, can you take Fenwick up to Madam Pomfrey? With the _utmost_ haste. You were brewing _Firewhisky?"_ he demanded, disbelievingly. "Boys! I'm extremely disappointed in you both."

"It was actually troll brandy," Benjy clarified miserably as Emmeline gently led him out of the room.

Slughorn waved his wand, and the sticky mess disappeared. He sighed, resting his hands on his extensive stomach as he surveyed his remaining students. James was now helping Sirius bottle their Amortentia.

"And this," Slughorn announced," Is why you should never leave a cauldron unattended!"

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As class was dismissed, Sirius made an extremely hasty escape. James went running after him, and finally catching him as he entered the Great Hall for lunch.

"Well?" James asked expectantly.

Sirius glared. "She forgave me," he sighed.

James rolled his eyes. "I _meant_ what did you smell?"

Sirius choked on the mouthful of chicken he had just taken. "Soriz?" he muttered.

"In the Amortentia," James prompted gently, knowing as well as Sirius did that they had both understood his question.

Sirius swallowed with one gulp, and looked around for eavesdroppers. The rest of the Potions class was just starting to trickle into the Great Hall, and there was currently no one sitting near them.

"I – I don't want to talk about it."

James leant back and smirked. "Perhaps the better question, considering your reaction, is _whom_ did you smell? I smelt Lily, naturally."

Sirius rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath.

"Sorry?" James asked, leaning forward.

James was fairly sure that if looks could kill, Sirius would have murdered him there and then.

"Emmeline, all right?" he replied roughly, before standing up and pushing his plate away. "I'm not hungry anymore."

James stared at Sirius' retreating back, shocked. _Sirius actually liked Emmeline_?

Shaking his head, he offered Remus a smile as he slid into the seat beside him. James had a nasty feeling things were about to get even more complicated.

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That evening, Lily entered the Head's Tower to find the Marauders lazing about on the lounge. James and Peter were playing chess, Sirius looked to be asleep, and Remus was gazing into the fire. He looked awfully pale, and by Lily's calculations, full moon was only a few days away. Clearing her throat, she smiled at the boys.

"Who's winning?" she enquired softly.

James grinned. "Peter," he admitted, in a way that made Lily sure James was letting Peter win. "How's Benjy?" he asked.

Lily shrugged. "All right. His face and hands are a little burnt, but he doesn't really seem to mind. He just asked Emmeline out," she grinned significantly.

Sirius groaned in his sleep and rolled over, brow furrowed, to hide his face in his pillow.

Lily raised her eyebrows, and James just shook his head, signaling that she really didn't want to know.

Lily stood for a moment, just watching the boys. The vials were a consistent presence in the pocket of her robes, a constant reminder of the lengths that some people would go to for forgiveness. Of the lengths that one would go to prolong their moments of friendship.  
Except that sometimes, and Lily understood the significance now, a moment of friendship would pass; and one would have to let it fade into the past, and there it had to stay, in order for a person to move on with life.

"Remus, can I talk to you?" Lily asked tentatively, nudging the werewolf with her foot.

Remus looked up, startled.

"In the study?" she added.

Getting slowly to his feet, Remus complied.

"What's up?" he asked softly, settling himself into a chair as Lily shut the door.

Turning, Lily drew out a small vial. "I made this today, with Snape," she said softly. "It's for you. I think it might help with – with the transformations."

Remus looked at her questioningly. "With _Snape_?" he asked suspiciously.

Lily nodded, not missing the significance of Remus' look. She brushed it off with a lazy hand. "I'm sure it's safe, Sev- _Snape_ wouldn't dare it. I think he's sorry, Remus, I really do." 

"I'm not sure about it, Lily..." Lily's smile was overly bright. "Oh, he wasn't the one who made it. I know exactly what's in there - wolfsbane with lavender and honey, batwing, milks thistle, and witch hazel. It's safe," she reassured him. "I think it will help – and if it doesn't, it certainly won't harm. If you want to try it…?"

Remus uncapped the vial and sniffed. Much to her relef, he didn't flinch.

"It feels calm," he murmured, impressed. Smiling, he recapped the vial and slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks Lily."

Lily nodded. "That's all right. Anything for a friend, Remus."

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"I'm bored," Sirius growled, staring at the closed study door. "What do you think they're talking about in there?"

James shrugged as Peter checkmated his king. "I don't know and I don't really care either, Padfoot."

Sirius frowned. "You're no fun," he complained, pulling out the Marauders Map. "Can we at least go to the kitchens, or something?"

James took the map from Sirius and spread it across the side table, scanning it. Filch was in his office; the corridors were clear. He sighed. Although Sirius was obviously not going to say anything, he seemed acutely upset that Benjy Fenwick had asked Emmeline out; even more so than Peter, who seemed resigned to the fact that Emmeline would never notice him.

"Fine. Get Moony and we'll go."

Sirius was already knocking at the study door. "C'mon Moony, we're going to the kit-"

Lily opened the door, and Sirius froze, as if her sudden visible presence had made him cautious and secretive. He gave her a weak smile and physically reached in to drag Remus out of the study. Lily raised her eyebrows at James, who shrugged.

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"I think I'm going to be sick," Peter moaned, clutching his stomach and pushing away the plate of cheesecake that he had been working on for at least ten minutes.

James and Remus rolled their eyes: Peter's eyes were notoriously bigger than his stomach, so to speak. Although to be fair, James conceded that Sirius could probably have given Peter a run for his money. Evidently, conscientious drinking was not Sirius' only speciality.

James checked his watch. "Well, it's well and truly after curfew, boys. I say its time to head back up."

Sirius scoffed. "If you were so concerned about curfew you wouldn't have come down here in the first place, Prongs."

James rolled his eyes at Sirius' sullen mood. As he was wont to in such situations, Sirius was taking out his frustration on his friends. What Sirius really needed, as far as James was concerned, was a good Quidditch session. _Except that Em was on the team too…_

James sighed. Obviously, he wasn't going to win tonight.

"And who do we have here?"

No, James decided, standing and reaching for his wand. _Definitely not his lucky night_.

Severus Snape, Ruttegar Bulstrode, Fitzroy Crabbe, and Regulus Black stood in the doorway to the kitchens, looking generally unpleasant.

James stomach gave a nasty lurch when he saw Sirius' eyes light up: and if that look was brotherly affection, James would kiss the Giant Squid.

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James was dancing. He was dancing, and he didn't like it.

"_Starnuto_!" he retaliated, and watched, mildly satisfied, as Snape began to sneeze.

"_Finite Incantatem_," Remus muttered, dashing past in pursuit of Crabbe.

James collapsed onto the floor in relief, and shot a grateful look at Remus, but he was already levitating Crabbe on the other side of the room. James turned once more to Snape, who was still sneezing uncontrollably.

"_Petrificus Totalus,"_ James added, flicking his wand toward Snape and catching him mid sneeze. James paused, watching him fall to the floor, satisfied. He had not missed Snape's whispered discussions with Lily in potions, nor her clear distress, and Snape's obvious resentment. He couldn't help but feel a tiny thrill of victory in his chest as he watched Snape's eyes dark around the room. And at the same time - a body bind curse would have to suffice. Lily wouldn't forgive him of anything more harmful.

Turning away from his immobilised opposition, James surveyed the kitchen. Two of the four long tables had been overturned in the course of their battle, and Peter and Bulstrode were taking cover behind their respective tables, which in James' opinion seemed exceptionally intelligent. The house elves had disappeared; and all that was left of what James would call a 'mild disagreement', really, was Remus cornering Crabbe, James having Body-Bound Snape, and Sirius and Regulus, who were having a vicious, seemingly non-verbal battle, with the bright lights of every spell reflecting off the stone walls and floor surrounding them.

Bulstrode had noticed Snape's paralysis while James was busy looking elsewhere. Having rectified it, Snape stood and dusted off his robes. James barely had time to react as the spell flew toward him, knocking him off his feet. His head hit the wall with a smack, and he was left reeling as Snape bore down on him. James met his eyes defiantly.

_"Protego!"_

A ninth voice was added to the mix; this one was high and feminine, and James had a nasty feeling that…

_Lily_.

She met his eyes, glaring, as Snape struggled to break what appeared to be a very advanced Shield Charm that had seemingly encased him.

"That's enough," Lily's cold voice rang through the kitchens.

Remus, Bulstrode, Crabbe and Peter complied, freezing where they were as they stared in a mixture of relief, awe and horror at the Head Girl. Even Snape, inside his bubble, froze as he recognised her voice...

Sirius and Regulus, however, continued their spate of sibling rivalry quite rigorously.

"Lets see… yes, 20 points apiece from Slytherin," Lily decided, proceeding to ignore the Black brothers. "Off to bed, now, you three."

Under heavy wand-guard, the three Slytherins trooped out of the kitchen, looking resentful. Snape shot a glare over his shoulder at James, who raised a sardonic eyebrow in reply as he made his way over to Lily, who appeared to be assessing the best method of diffusing Sirius and Regulus.

"Thanks for coming," he breathed in her ear, making her shiver. "How did you know where we were?"

Lily smiled knowingly. "Oh, I found this map sort of thing in the common room…"

James gulped. All of a sudden, he seemed acutely aware of the little sweat beads trickling down his forehead. He wiped them away, avoiding Lily's eyes. _She'd found the map…_

James smiled weakly. "Yeah, Lily… about that-"

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**A/N****: I hope you like this installment. I know Sirius is a bit of a … you know, jerk, or whatever, but if you read my profile, I clarify that he **_**is**_** dark and twisty in canon, and if you're going to write a character, you write him properly, no? Anyway, at least he knows his flaws! **

And what did you think of Snape? I changed it a bit, to fit the canon that Deathly Hallows provided us with - I'd love to know what you think!

**How is James going to explain away the Map? **

**All will be revealed in Chapter 17! **

**Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated! xx Lexie**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer****: Anything remotely related to HP (ie. Characters, settings etc) belongs to JK Rowling. The plot is, however, most certainly and firmly mine, so please don't steal it! **

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**Chapter Seventeen: In which Lily takes matters into her own hands**

The Hogwarts kitchen was a disaster zone. From the moment that Lily had entered, she had been unable to ignore the overturned trestle tables that were currently serving as cover for Peter and Ruttegar Bulstrode as they shot spells at each other. Somehow, although Lily did not know how it was possible, those thick, sturdy tables had avoided being blasted to bits by the continuous stream of stunners Bulstrode seemed to be sending at Peter.

Bulstrode had never been known for his inventiveness.

Now, however, as Lily's eyes adjusted to the unusually dim light (Crabbe had knocked out the torches some time ago), the greater toll of the battle appeared before her. Pots, pans and cooking utensils were strewn everywhere across the floor, and over in the far eastern corner, Lily was fairly sure she could spot a pair of cowering house-elves, who hadn't been able to escape through the door to their living quarters, as the aforementioned trestles appeared to be blocking it. Splatters of what appeared to be rice pudding were artfully smattered across the rooftop, and over near Remus, there seemed to be a rather large and sticky looking puddle of what Lily suspected may have once been treacle.

Lily also noticed that the Head Boy, who had slunk up beside her, appeared to be attempting to catch her eye again, and was looking supremely guilty.

James scratched his head, looking around the kitchen and feeling a similar weight of despair to the emotion that Lily herself was currently experiencing. James' despair, however, appeared to be centered on the (in his opinion, anyway) infinitely more important fate of the Marauder's Map. "I guess you want an explanation?"

Lily pursed her lips, planting her hands on her hips as she surveyed the kitchen with a critical eye. "It can wait, James. The point is, I look at this Map thing, and much to my surprise…"

James suddenly felt a hope beyond all rational hopes. _Lily didn't care about the Map?_ Unconsciously, he began to smile, although that quickly began to fade as his gaze returned to Lily and he heard her sigh. Lily shook her head, and the smile disappeared all together. In fact, her eyes looked distinctly sad.

"I'm going to have to take house points, James," she told him quietly.

James nodded, silently cursing Lily's dedication to her position. Why couldn't she learn to appreciate his approach, and apply the rules with a similar flair for creativity? He turned away to watch Sirius and Regulus in an attempt to mask his frustration.

"Someone should probably call those two off," he replied, in sort. "Twenty points apiece, was it?"

Lily nodded apologetically. "I'm afraid so."

Cupping his hands to his mouth, James yelled. "Oi, Padfoot! Enough already!"

Distracted, Sirius glanced around and found Lily beside James. At that moment, Regulus seemed to recover, and managed to knock Sirius off his feet. Sirius got to his feet, rolling his eyes, and without much further ado, body bound his brother.

"Spoil my fun," he grumbled, levitating Regulus out the door.

Together, Lily and the Marauders set the kitchen tables right again, and then Lily made the boys apologise to the house-elves. As they made their way back upstairs, James looked, in Lily's opinion, to be distinctly disappointed. But what could she have done? It was so very hypocritical to only take points from the Slytherins – and if there was one thing Lily Evans loathed, it was hypocrisy.

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"A couple of years ago, what with all the full moon stuff, we took to exploring the grounds and Hogsmeade, and you know… Remus thought that since he couldn't really remember much, a map would be something fun to make. So we made the map for him, and then Sirius came up with the idea to chart people on it too, so we wouldn't ever get caught…" James ran his hands through his hair and glanced cautiously at the Head Girl, who strangely enough didn't seem all that inclined to yell.

Lily was, in fact, adding up all the loose ends and mysteries that had surrounded the Marauders for years. The Map certainly explained why the Marauders were only ever caught and punished for their pranks on the rare occasion when they actually owned up to committing them. It also explained their apparently endless supply of sweets and alcohol, amongst other miscellaneous Hogsmeade paraphernalia, which Lily had observed had the tendency to be confiscated as often as they were replaced. All in all though, Lily could see that they appeared to only ever use the Map for fun. Only one lingering doubt remained in her mind:

"You actually _made_ that Map?" Lily asked incredulously, picking up the now blank piece of parchment.

James opened his mouth to reply, but even as he did, lines were appearing on the parchment, rough, curly scrawls that were almost illegible and yet infallibly recognizable as…

James winced._His_ handwriting...

_**Mr Prongs is of the opinion that Miss Evans is the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts.**_

Lily blushed as the words appeared across the page, glancing at James with shining eyes.

_**Mr Moony would like to commend Mr Prongs on making Miss Evans blush.**_

_**Mr Padfoot suspects that Miss Evans is secretly in love with Mr Prongs.**_

James watched as Lily's eyes widened and her blush intensified. Leaning toward her curiously, he was extremely surprised when she concealed the writing from him, grasping the parchment to her chest and looking extremely mortified. Much to her dismay, a different yet still familiar scrawl began to appear on the back of the page. James read it, grinning.

_**Mr Wormtail would like to request that Miss Evans put Mr Prongs out of his misery as soon as she finds convenient.**_

"Mischief Managed?" James asked quietly.

Lily bit her lip and nodded. "Point taken, good sirs," she murmured as the Map wiped itself blank, before surrendering it to James. "It's been a long day – I might just call it a night, I think."

She stood up to leave, muffling a yawn with her hand in what James felt was an incredibly cute manner.

"Night, Lils," he murmured, before sighing and loosening his tie.

The fire crackled, making James jump, and grinning ruefully, he settled back into the pile of ornamental cushions amassed behind him.

"You know, you're lucky she didn't burn you," James mumbled absently, caressing the map as he carefully and reverently folded it back up. "Lucky you're all such smooth talkers…"

Yawning a little himself, he glanced lazily toward the coffee table. Lily had left out a pile of plans for the Winter Ball that he needed to go over, but James found that he simply couldn't be bothered.

Someone coughed above him, and he glanced up to find Lily leaning on the gallery railing, wearing her dressing gown. She smiled at him shyly, and from the look in her eyes, James could tell she'd noticed the map in his hands.

"You know, that Map really is quite incredible, James," she told him quietly.

James cast his mind back to that faithful day in fifth year, when Remus had cast the finishing charms, and smiled.

"It is," he murmured fondly in agreement.

There was a look on Lily's face that he found impossible to read. "Twenty points for innovation," she murmured finally, her hand lazily gesturing toward the precious map. "_Each_."

James grinned, and nodded his thanks. Lily gave him a small half-smile and disappeared into her room for the night.

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"Prongs!"

James mumbled incoherently in his sleep, hand stretched lazily out of bed and searching through the mess of his bedside table.

On the other side of the mirror, Sirius watched, smirking, as James' hand moved steadily into sight.

"A little to the left," he directed the hand helpfully, and next thing Sirius knew, the mirror seemed to be suspended in front of the tousle-haired boy.

"What time is it, Paddy?" James yawned. To Sirius, it sounded more like _'Wha tist Paddy?'_

Sirius grinned. "First snow of the season, that's what time it is, Prongs. Take a look out the window, if you please."

James blinked sleepily and sat up, abandoning the handheld mirror on his bedspread and clinging to the curtains as he drew them apart.

Outside, the grounds of Hogwarts were blindingly white. James grinned, and checked his watch_. 5am!_ His smile rapidly disappeared.

"You ruin my weekend sleep in too often," James grumbled, climbing out of bed and casting his gaze around for a pair of trousers.

The mirror laughed in response. "See you outside the castle in fifteen minutes?"

"Not if I see you first," James retorted.

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"Honestly, Wormy," Sirius complained as Peter's snowball disintegrated mid-flight, en-route to James and Remus' fortress.

Peter rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you chose to set our camp in powder," he reminded Sirius.

Sirius scowled.

_Thwack_.

The unmistakeable sound of their friends sniggering carried over the open, powdery ground from the small fortress of snowballs that James and Remus were cowering behind. Sirius' scowl intensified, but there was an unmistakable flicker in his eyes that made Peter smile.

"Storm the fortress?" he suggested softly.

Sirius' scowl transformed into a grin. "Best idea you've had all day, Wormy. On three?"

Peter grinned back. "Deal."

Remus gulped. "Er – Prongs?"

James looked up from his steadily increasing pile of snowballs. "Moony?"

"You might want to start using those sooner, rather than-"

War cries sounded on the air, and James' head jerked up out of the cover of their humble wall. "Blimey – _Wingardium leviosa!"_

Remus grinned as twenty-seven snowballs hovered in mid air, awaiting James' command. With a flick of his wand, James sent them flying in the direction of Sirius and Peter, who were doing a terrible job of running stealthily. Remus chuckled as one after another, snowballs smacked Sirius in the face. At least Peter had had the good sense to duck…

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"And you think an avalanche in the charms corridor is _amusing_, do you, Mr. Black?"

Sirius winced as Professor McGonagall loomed over the Gryffindor table, effectively interrupting the Marauder's quiet breakfast, later that same morning.

"Terribly," Sirius muttered, biting back a grin. Realising that what he'd intended to say and what he had actually said were two very different things, Sirius coughed. "I mean – it's a disaster, simply… terrible."

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "You're lucky it's Sunday, Black. My office in ten minutes for detention!"

Sirius scowled into his porridge. "Thanks for the support," he muttered glumly.

Remus shrugged. "Cheer up," he told Sirius without a trace of sympathy. "Hogsmeade is cancelled anyway, so the most you were going to do today was spend it complaining while we studied, right?"

James and Peter exchanged looks of amusement. "Yeah, study. Right," James agreed quickly.

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"Can I have a word?"

Remus' voice was low and husky to Lily's ears, making her jump. Glancing sideways toward Emmeline and Benjy Fenwick, who were busy locked in a passionate embrace by the fireside, Lily nodded and shuffled over, making room for Remus on the lounge.

"Sure."

Remus fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. "I tried the potion, the other night," he said finally, looking up to meet her eyes with an apologetic smile. "Wasn't much help, frankly. I'm sorry, Lily."

Lily's eyes widened as she listened, and her mouth twisted into a kind smile. "Oh," she murmured. "I'm sorry too, Remus... Well, if it doesn't work the first time, try, try ag-"

Remus held up his hand, effectively silencing her. "Thank you for your concern, Lily. It means a lot that you thought of me at all, but… I don't want you to waste your time on a lost cause. _Especially_ when you should be studying."

Lily's brow furrowed. "I - I - Don't you dare think you're a lost cause, Remus Lupin," she argued fiercely, albeit in a whisper. "In fact, I think with a few adjustments here and there-"

Remus shook his head. "Really Lily, it isn't necessary. Thanks – but no thanks."

Remus sighed inwardly as he stood up and turned away, making his way back across the Gryffindor Common room to where Peter was struggling with Charms revision. It wasn't that Remus didn't appreciate Lily's help… He did, in more ways than she could ever know. But he felt, as always, that the Marauders themselves ran too large a risk in keeping him company, and frankly, Remus didn't want to put anyone _else_ out in the name of his affliction. It just wasn't practical, in his mind, anyway, for Lily to waste her time on a potion that was likely to do absolutely nothing to help. Remus couldn't get his hopes up. He'd lived with this for twelve years already, anyway. He'd cope.

Lily watched Remus' hunched back sadly. He was shying away from her help - that much was obvious. She shook her head, unable to understand why Remus felt the need to bear his burden alone.

Turning toward Emmeline in the hope of some solidarity (although reasonably, Emmeline would have had no idea what Lily and Remus were talking about) Lily found that Emmeline and Benjy seemed to have progressed to kissing. She sighed heavily, watching them from the corners of her eye. What she wouldn't give for James to-

Lily shook her head again in an attempt to clear any thoughts of _that _nature from her mind. It wouldn't do to dwell on what James seemed so determined to avoid. Gaze landing on the snow-covered landscape beyond the common room window, Lily stood, muttered to no one in particular that she was going for a walk, and left.

Out of the corner of his eye, James noticed Lily leaving the common room, her expression decidedly blank. Curiously, he stood, and made the sudden decision to follow her.

"Back in a while," he murmured to Remus and Peter, who simply raised their eyebrows and nodded.

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She felt his presence before she saw him. Lily had wandered in the snow for some time before finding a comfortable rock to perch on by the edge of the lake. She had sat, drinking in the silence for scarce moments before she heard the familiar scrunch of footsteps behind her, and the strange tingling in the back of her neck that told her who had joined her.

Lily watched the lake carefully. The water was black and thick as it crashed onto the shore in small wavelets. It wasn't yet cold enough for the lake to fully freeze over, but nevertheless, Lily didn't fancy going for a wade.

"I'm tired," she confessed quietly, watching the tiny bubbles of foam drift in and out with the tide.

Beside her, she felt James tense. "Tired of what?" he asked carefully, examining her profile.

He had an intense desire to kiss every single freckle that he could see sprinkled across her nose.

"Tired of waiting for you to make the first move."

The confession was a quiet one; so quiet that James himself almost missed it. Except that he didn't. Instead, he caught the words that had sprung on a breath of steam from her lips, and he grasped them with both hands in delight. A small smile began to spread across his face, and within seconds, if Lily had possessed the courage to look, she would have seen him grinning like the Cheshire cat from one of her muggle storybooks. Instead, Lily _felt_ the smile, and bit back her own. Had James shuffled closer? Was that possible? Then, all of a sudden…

"I knew it would work." The triumph in his voice was evident, even though the words were spoken softly and with great care, as if their speaker was savouring every syllable.

And, indeed, he was.

Lily's resolution to avoid his eyes failed: she turned in surprise, and his look captured her, leaving her rather breathless.

"What – what do you mean?" she asked falteringly, distracted by those warm hazel eyes, as enticing as melted chocolate. Except that it was Lily herself who felt like she was melting.

"Remember what I said about doing this the right way? I wanted you to know me, Lily," those chocolate eyes explained softly. Lily was oblivious to their owner's voice. "I wanted you to want me: to know that it _was_ me that you wanted to be with."

Lily's lips curved into a shy smile of their own accord. "You're far more amazing than I ever imagined, Potter," she told him, fully believing the words with every fibre of her being.

James just nodded calmly, but his smile lit up his face, and his eyes twinkled. Slowly, hesitantly, his hand crept across her legs, and their fingers entwined. A gust of chilly air flew at them across the lake, sending Lily's hair tumbling backwards over her shoulders.

"Perhaps we should go back inside," he suggested, his voice low. "I don't know about you, Lils, but I don't fancy either of us getting frostbite."

James stood and pulled a reluctant Lily to her feet. Then, suddenly, he dropped her hand, and stuffed his own back into the pocket of his robes, drawing his cloak tightly around his shoulders.

Lily stood stationary by the lake, watching his retreating figure, all dressed in black, with a small, fond sort of frown.

Several metres away, James seemed to notice that she was not, in fact, by his side. Turning around, eyes half-closed against the cold, he sighed. There she was, still standing by the lake, where he had left her.

"Come on!"

Lily shook her head, before coming to an abrupt and absolute decision that made her smile. As her mother had always said, if you want something done right, you'd best do it yourself.

Next thing James knew, he lay on his back in the snow, having just been charged at, then tackled, by the small red-haired figure.

James looked up into her eyes, too shocked to speak. They sparkled with mischief, and he laughed, feeling supremely sheepish. _So this was what he had pushed Lily to, tackling him in the freezing snow?_

"You're not going one more step without giving me the kiss of my life, Potter."

Lily watched James' eyes widen, and she leant back, satisfied, as a small, self-conscious smile crept onto his face.

_Good. He deserves to be shocked_, she thought.

"You're insane," he murmured, voice filled with wonder. "I've finally driven you over the brink. You're insane!"

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes, grabbing at a tuft of his wild black hair. "Not quite," she murmured, bringing her face so close to his that their noses were touching. "_This_ is insane."

And she kissed him.

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Sirius had been shoveling snow from the Charms corridor manually for over two hours. McGonagall had confiscated his wand, the rigid old cow, and Sirius was pretty sure that his hands were about to fall off from the cold. Gritting his teeth, he threw down his shovel and slumped against the freezing stone wall, exhausted.

"Psst!"

Sirius glanced up suspiciously, but the corridor remained deserted, except for-

"Padfoot, get a load of this!"

That was Peter's voice. And, as if to accompany it, a hand shot out of thin air to thrust the Marauder's Map at Sirius. He took it curiously, frowning as he scanned the grubby piece of parchment.

"What?"

"Out on the grounds – look for Prongs and Lily."

That was Remus' voice now, and from the sounds of it, he was smiling. Sirius' eyes suddenly lit on not two, but _one_ dot duly labeled _Lily Evans James Potter_, and he grinned, punching the air.

"Way to go, Prongs!"

Remus' hand reappeared, gesturing for the map to be returned, and Sirius gazed at it fondly for a few moments before surrendering it.

"I think this calls for a celebratory drink, boys," he announced, beaming as he got to his feet.

"What about the rest of your detention?"

"Can I borrow your wand, Wormy?"

Another hand appeared offering a wand without question. Sirius waved it once, muttered '_evanesco'_ and grinned as the snow vanished.

"Thanks. I do believe my detention has finished, Moony. What do you say, old friend? Three Broomsticks?"

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Emmeline lay in the dark, a small smile on her face as she dreamt. With one hand cast across her covers, and the other curled around her pillow, she looked positively peaceful. Sirius gazed at her momentarily, drinking in the messy, golden bed-hair and the sweetness of her expression. Sometimes, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her again. He couldn't quite recall that last time: his mind had been on other things. But, quite unfortunately for Sirius Black, he had discovered his experience with Emmeline Vance to be somewhat addictive. Butterbeer and too much Firewhisky was clouding Sirius' thought process, and it was all he could do to keep his mind on the job. Sarcastic, witty Emmeline had never looked more vulnerable. Sirius grinned.

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The screams started, Remus would approximate, at about one'o'clock in the morning. In the Gryffindor Tower, lights went on everywhere as the minor explosion sounded and the panic started… and then, the disgust. Sirius had actually done it – he'd pulled if off. Setting off Dungbombs was one thing, but setting Dungbombs off inside the girls' dorm rooms, after sneaking up the trick staircase (the one that turned into a slide whenever a boy stepped on it) at midnight whilst drunk was a fine achievement by any Marauder's standards. Remus grinned, rolled over in bed and promptly fell back asleep.

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Emmeline sat up, and sniffed. _How odd_… Inhaling once more, just to be sure, she grimaced. That had to be, without doubt, the most disgusting thing that she had ever smelt.

Someone let out a loud, long snore, completely oblivious to the hideous scent that seemed to be penetrating the room.

Emmeline froze. _Someone had snored? But no one in the room ever snored…_

Peeling open her curtains, Emmeline was greeted by the sight of Sirius Black, curled up on the floor beside her bed. Taking a further tentative whiff, Emmeline frowned. Sirius smelt distinctly of Dungbombs… and Firewhisky. An odd combination if ever she had smelt it!

Emmeline shook her head, scowling at the handsome boy passed out on her bedroom floor. Everyone in the castle knew Sirius had issues, but honestly!

Tiredly groping around for her wand, Emmeline picked up her pillow and levitated the sleeping boy's form. It wouldn't do at all for the girls to wake up and find him in there.

Opening the door, Emmeline Vance unceremoniously dumped her Quidditch captain onto the stairs. Being, as they were, charmed to prevent boys from climbing them, the stairs immediately leveled, transforming into a steep stone slide. Watching Sirius startle in his sleep as the staircase gave way beneath him, Emmeline smiled, feeling strangely satisfied.

It wasn't often you got to throw an unconscious rat bag down the stairs, after all - even if he was a charming, self-depreciating rat bag.

As the steps reappeared, she made her own way down. Sirius was still curled up in a rumpled heap, having rolled to a halt against the leg of one of the study desks. He looked oddly peaceful, twisted into his little ball, and Emmeline really didn't have the heart to wake him.

Not when her bedroom stunk of methane and he happened to have what she presumed would be a lovely, comfortable, empty bed of his own, anyway.

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Peter drew open the curtains about Sirius' bed, as he did every morning. Yawning, the boy bent over the bed, still half asleep, to begin the involved and often gradual process of awakening the bed's occupant.

Only, this particular morning, the slumbering person startled, opened their eyes and sat up immediately. Feeling that this was exceptionally odd behaviour, even for Mr. Unpredictable himself, Peter peeled open his eyes, and startled.

"_Emmeline?_"

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**A/N****: Guess who just hit 200 reviews and 10 000 hits!!! ME! But it's all down to you guys, so thanks very much…!**

**How awkward for Em to explain…. And Lily finally cracked! Was that romantic enough for you? Love to hear your thoughts, as always!**

**Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated, and stay tuned for Chapter Eighteen…**

**Lexie xx**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer****: All characters, settings and other miscellaneous references relating to **_**Harry Potter™**_** belong to JKR. I'm just borrowing them – because I can.**

**A/N****: How cool is my little ™????**

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**Chapter Eighteen: In which Lily surprises everyone**

"And Emmeline was in Sirius' bed?" Lily raised her eyebrows, surprised. "How'd she explain that one?"

Lily and James sat in the Head's Tower lounge. The fire roared in the grate, casting a great deal of welcome warmth into the chilly night air.

James grinned and rolled his eyes. "Very complicated, I assure you. The upshot is, Em doesn't plan on making a return visit anytime soon!"

Lily rolled her eyes back, chewing on the end of her quill. With a sigh, she looked down at the list they had been working on for the Winter Ball, and sighed. Spread between them over the lounge, the coffee table and a great deal of the floor at their feet, were lists, letters, documents and miscellaneous other pieces of parchment relating to the planning of the Winter Ball. Lily hoped that Dumbledore truly appreciated the amount of effort they were going to.

"All right, lovely story, but that's enough procrastination James, we really need to get this don- mmff!"

Being allowed to kiss Lily was a very convenient development, James decided. He liked the way it felt very much, and the way his pulse quickened and all he could think about was her warmth and her smell and all other manner of romantic thoughts…. _Plus_, it had the added bonus of being a wonderful way to distract or silence her.

Sirius had accused him of getting soft, but the practical side of James knew better than that… he was just enjoying what he had.

Lily suppressed a smile and kissed James back, somewhat ruefully. As if he could read her thoughts, James smiled against her lips briefly before she prized them away.

"James, really, we're in the middle of a Heads-"

Well, there were worse things she could be doing, Lily supposed as James once again cut her off, bearing down on her until they were lying side by side on the lounge. She could feel the parchment crackling beneath her, and cringed, imagining all their hard work becoming smudged and crinkled. Not that she was complaining particularly. Suddenly, though, and as if he had read her thoughts, it was James who broke away and sat up.

"Oh, so it's all right to stop _now_, is it?" Lily teased mockingly, lazily reaching beneath her to pull out the layer of parchment that had been offending her so. Done, she leant back into the pile of pillows and draped her legs over his.

James blushed. "It just – wasn't very proper," he managed to murmur.

Lily grinned. "You're such a gentleman," she replied lightly. "Are you willing to talk business now, Mr. Potter, or are you going to kiss me again?"

James frowned. "Not while you're lying down like that," he told her.

Lily nodded, not planning to move an inch. James had a knack for diverting her attention quite successfully, and now that they'd stopped, Lily felt that perhaps they had deserved a break from the checks and balances of their Heads duties anyway.

"Fine then. Since we're slowing down, and completely off the topic, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

Lily swung her legs off James' lap and sat up; he leant forward, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"Anything?"

Lily bit her lip. Ever since James had revealed his animagus form, she had been curious, but not brave enough to ask him about it. Now, however… _Well, if you can't ask the boy you've just been kissing, you'll never be able to ask him_, Lily concluded.

"James, I want to become an animagus."

James gulped, frowning. Lily watched him unblinkingly, her face unreadable. Her hair was slightly mussed, and he absently tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Lily Evans wants to do something illegal?" he asked doubtfully; surely Lily hadn't thought the whole thing through very well.

Lily shuffled a little closer to him and took James' hands. "Yes, yes I do."

"And you are one hundred percent sure that you want to? Because it's never going to work if you aren't confident, Lily."

"I'm sure," she replied solemnly. "I've been wanting to ask for ages, actually."

James took a deep breath. "_Well_… The first thing to know is that you can't become anything magical, or you'll never be able to change back."

"Like Mrs. Norris," Lily supplemented helpfully.

"Eh?"

"Well she was having an affair with Filch, and so she turned herself into a kneazle to escape her loveless marriage, and got trapped. That's what Emmeline heard, anyway…"

James blinked. "So it's true, then?" he asked doubtfully.

Lily shrugged, giving him a lopsided smile. "Anything's possible…"

James nodded shortly, and then cleared his throat. "Anyway, no magical creatures. I don't want to lose you," he told her sternly.

If James found Lily's request startling, it was nothing to the look that suddenly filtered across her face. Her thumb stroked his hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, James," she told him softly. "I have the perfect animal in mind…"

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Lily sat in front of her floor length mirror and exhaled. It was past midnight, and just across the gallery, she could hear James snoring softly. She smiled slightly, before checking herself.

The key, James had said, was to concentrate, and Lily didn't particularly fancy becoming skewed. Skewing, James had informed her, was what happened when half of you transformed, and half didn't. It was one of the reasons the Ministry kept such a close check on it.

Lily's toes were numb. She wriggled; readjusting her legs so that she sat tailor style, with her feel resting on top of her legs like the Buddhist monk Petunia and she had met once, long ago, as children.

Perhaps if she meditated… 

Lily closed her eyes and began to draw soft, deep breaths. In, and out, in and out. James had said she had to make her mind still, and to then focus on the animal she wished to become completely. She had to think as her animal, sense as her animal, _be_ as the animal she wanted to become.

Lily meditated and thought for three long hours. Around her, the castle grew still, the winter wind rattled at her window, and the room grew steadily colder.

Lily opened her eyes.

And froze.

_It worked!_ A part of her cried out with excitement, wanting to rush immediately into James' room, to wake him. Except for the minor detail that she was now incapable of opening doors.

Lily's heart raced with exhilaration, and she took a few tentative steps forward. The room smelt of something almost sickly sweet, which the human Lily knew to be vanilla. Animagus Lily didn't care what it was, but it made her hungry. And sleepy, terribly, terribly sleepy. So sleepy that in fact, she wouldn't have minded curling up on a nice bed of grass and nodding off…

_Bollux_, the human Lily inside her mind swore. _James never told me how to reverse it!_

Lily paced the rug nervously. Her first instinct was to run, but Lily knew that this wouldn't do her much good at all. Maybe, if she just _stopped_, and concentrated like before, she could turn back again.

Yes.

That seemed like as good a plan as any.

Lily sat down, and began to slow her breath again. Slowly, she lowered her eyelids, plunging her mind once more into blackness.

_I hope this works I hope this works I hope this works…_

Lily opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Her human form blinked back at her tiredly in the reflection. She raised her hand to touch her hair, and all of a sudden felt a great, weary weight fall upon her shoulders. Her arms felt hollow and weak, and it was all Lily could do to blow out her candle, crawl across the floor and climb into bed.

Who knew magic could be so exhausting?

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Lily had resolved not to tell James about her little midnight experience. The next morning, absolutely exhausted, she made her way down to the bathroom and splashed warm water on her face, Come to think of it, she wasn't even entirely sure that she _had_ transformed, after all…

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Lily picked up her toothbrush, deciding to focus on the day ahead. She had classes all morning, and some time during lunch, she and James were going to have to meet and talk about the Ball again…

"So," said a voice from the bathroom door. Lily looked around, surprised, to find James leaning there, watching her with a small smile on his face.

Lily blushed, mouth full of toothpaste, and attempted to subtly spit it out. "Goof morfink."

James raised his eyebrows, and turning back to the mirror, much to her mortification, Lily saw the trail of foamy white toothpaste dripping down her chin. Raising a hand, she swiped it away as delicately as she could.

"What does a guy have to do round here to hold his girlfriend's hand down to breakfast?"

Lily blinked. "_Girlfriend?_"

James blinked. Externally, his face remained impassive, but internally, it rather felt like a heavy plank of wood had gone crashing through the bottom of his stomach and was currently splintering its way through his intestines.

He shrugged, his hazel eyes leveling on hers, voice careful. "Is that not the right word?"

Lily frowned. "I'm not sure. But regardless, yes, you may hold my hand."

James' brow furrowed, but he nodded. "Good."

And although he had achieved the reply he had hoped for, James couldn't help but feel a tiny seed of doubt beginning to implant itself in his nerve-prone stomach.

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So far, Lily had observed three pairs of wide eyes, two hidden smiles, and a pair of Slytherins laughing outright at the spectacle that she and James seemed to be making of themselves. Suppressing a yawn, she glanced at him sideways, and saw a cheerful smile spread across his lips, as though he didn't have a care in the world.

_He_ didn't care that people were talking about them.

Lily swallowed and tried to smile too, but it seemed forced and insincere. She wasn't ready to do this. She'd just come out of a very _very_ public relationship with Art, and she wasn't prepared to have her new romance at the top of everyone's gossip lists as well. Not to mention she'd had very little sleep last night. Lack of sleep tended to make Lily a bit emotional or, as Emmeline liked to call it, paranoid.

Besides, Lily told herself, it really wasn't anyone else's business, and she wasn't at all looking forward to the not-so-subtle glances and hushed whispers. She had to prepare herself, or rather-

"James," she hissed, dragging him into the nearest empty classroom. "I can't do it."

James blinked at her once again, looking calm. He raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I can't stand them staring at us."

Lily had imagined his reaction – imagined that he would frown and withdraw his hand, and maybe stuff it into his pockets, and mumble something about not worrying about it, then.

Instead, he grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be an idiot, Lily."

_Well that was certainly the last thing she'd expected to hear…._

"Excuse me?"

James gripped her hand even tighter when she tried to pull away.

"I said, don't be silly. They point and stare anyway. You're the Head Girl, and you're also the girl who very publicly and brutally dumped Art Scamander."

"But – I _didn't_," Lily protested.

"Do you think that really matters?"

Lily watched him, confused. James met her stare and rolled his eyes again, exaggerating to make sure she got the point.

"Look, they're going to talk anyway, and I for one don't care. I'm not going to hide what I feel about you, because I'm not ashamed who knows it. I like 'us', whatever 'us' is, and I should hope that you're not ashamed either, Lily."

Lily stared at the ground. This was almost the most humiliating lecture she had received to-date. She felt James' fingers beneath her chin, drawing her face up. He kissed her and pulled away, eyes dancing merrily.

"I'm not ashamed," she told him defiantly. "Just feeling a little self-conscious."

James nodded seriously. "Good. Modesty is a virtue."

Lily rolled her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

James laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I have no idea," he admitted. "But I do know that in two minutes' time, I plan to enter the Great Hall holding your hand, and I think it might be a bit awkward if the rest of you isn't attached, _so_…."

Lily smiled reluctantly. "Point proved. You're very persistent, James Potter."

He nodded. "My mother's stubborn and my father is persistent, and I think I take after them both." He winked. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Are you feeling better?"

Lily sighed, trying not to smile. "I'm feeling a bit silly."

"You're a goose," he confirmed, kissing her forehead and opening the door. "It's one of the things I love about you. Are you coming?"

"Are you always going to be this bossy?"

James gave her another pointed look, and the argument flowed out of Lily with a smile.

"_Fine_. But just so you know, girlfriends are allowed to be bossy too."

James grinned again, not for a moment letting on his immediate instinct to jump around and yell a bit. Lily had, after all, just called herself his girlfriend, of all things.

Instead, he gave her arm a little tug. "Look on the bright side," he told her cheerfully. "It's not like I'm going to carry you in, kicking and screaming. Then they'd _really_ have something to talk about."

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"So what I was thinking is that we sneak into the third greenhouse, steal the plant and then-"

"Morning lads," James murmured nonchalantly, sliding into his normal spot beside Sirius.

Sirius' eyes widened even further when he saw Lily take the seat beside James.

"What – you – _hands?_"

Remus glanced between Sirius and Lily, and suppressed a roll of his eyes. Sirius had been just as happy and relieved at the discovery of James and Lily's dots as Peter and Remus had. However, he hadn't seemed to realise the consequences of Lily and James' inked activities. Remus shook his head slowly. Really, James should have seen it coming. Sirius was his best friend after all, and he hadn't done much to prepare him… _Unless Lily had taken James by surprise too_?

Remus wouldn't put it past her. He filed that thought away for a later date when he could ask James. Right now, it was more important that Sirius seemed to be realising the repercussions of James' new relationship, and knowing Sirius as he did, Remus was mildly concerned.

Lily, on the other hand, raised her eyebrows at James, who shrugged and grinned at his best mate. "Nice and subtle, Padfoot. Thanks so much."

"Do you want to hold my other hand, Sirius?" Lily asked sweetly, her eyes sparkling with teasing laughter.

Sirius stuck his tongue out at her, in a very childish display. "Grow up, Evans," he retorted.

"What's this I hear about plant theft?" she replied, smiling.

Remus choked on his glass of pumpkin juice. That was the _last_ thing Sirius needed, for Lily to spoil their prank. "Nothing, Lily, just another of Sirius' crazy schemes."

"Oh no," Peter disagreed earnestly. He leant forward across the table and explained in a hushed whisper, "We want to steal that plant that makes slime, so we can prank the Slytherins."

Sirius looked like he was about to faint. "You did _not_ just tell Lily Evans our prank," he complained, turning away in disgust.

Lily opened her mouth, but James got in first.

"Relax Paddy, she won't turn us in, will you, Lils? It's just a bit of fun, right?"

"Lily doesn't need to turn us in," Remus pointed out carefully. "Because she's the one she'd turn us in to, if you know what I mean."

"You mean I'm Head Girl so I'm going to spoil your fun?" Lily asked flatly. "That's not very fair - James is Head Boy!"

"But Prongs is a Marauder," Sirius replied, as if that explained everything.

Peter toyed with his eggs. "You won't really give us detention, will you?" he asked. "Because it's almost Christmas, and I don't _want_ to hate you, but detentions with Filch can force a person to do drastic things."

"There will be no hating of Lily," James protested.

Remus grinned. "Not from you, anyway," he smiled, making Lily blush.

James, glaring fiercely at Remus, would have sworn he heard Sirius mutter '_hopeless_' under his breath.

"I am _not_ hopeless!" he protested.

"Are too," Sirius replied, looking supremely haughty.

It was Lily's turn to roll her eyes. "Grow up, Sirius. And if you really must know, I'm not giving you detention," she told Peter kindly. "There will be no teasing of James," she added to Remus, who merely smiled. "And you aren't hopeless, James. I was _actually_ only going to suggest that you really don't need to steal the plant at all."

Sirius scoffed. "And you have a better idea, do you, miss Head-Girl-never-breaks-a-rule-perfect-swo- _ow!"_ he complained, rubbing his arm and glaring at James. "That hurt."

James raised his eyebrow. "You're such a bab-"

"In fact," Lily cut in, "I do."

"Prove it."

Lily rolled her eyes, and then turned, drawing her wand out slowly as her eyes scanned the Great Hall. At that very moment, Art Scamander was walking through the doors, flicking his curly blonde hair out of his eyes and trying way too hard to look handsome.

"_Appiccicoso_," Lily muttered.

Sirius and James turned to watch as, much to their surprise, a small green blob appeared out of nowhere, expanded, and collided with Art's face with a wet _smack_, splattering into his hair and running down his chin.

Lily turned back to find four boys staring at her, and raised an eyebrow, grinning.

"I didn't know you had it in you," James told her reverently.

Sirius was also staring at her, as if in awe. "Can you teach me?" he asked.

Remus sighed. "You know, Lily, you have no idea what you just started."

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Sirius furrowed his brow. "So you sweep it to the left, then jab?" he asked, trying it.

Lily crouched beside him in the dark corridor, and shook her head. "You're going it wrong. Like _this_," she demonstrated, grabbing his hand and guiding its' movement, as Sirius let out a soft "Oh" of understanding.

"Like this?"

"Perfect."

Sirius smiled at her, his eyes twinkling in the torchlight. "You know, you're all right, Lily."

"Thank you, Sirius."

"I mean, I already knew that, but I thought that you might try to change Prongs and make him more serious, and that's just not going to happen, Lily, so don't even bother."

Lily cleared her throat. "Right. And what's this James tells me about Emmeline sleeping in your bed?"

Sirius closed his mouth promptly, and glared at James, who was knelt on Lily's other side, light spilling out of the end of his wand as he watched the Marauder's map.

"Anyone?" Remus' voice drifted down the corridor from James' other side. Light bouncing off his glasses, James shook his head. "Nope."

"We're missing divination," Peter pointed out.

Lily's laugh echoed down the corridor. "Just tell her you predicted the lesson was cancelled."

Sirius gazed at Lily with newfound respect. Lily, however, stood and dusted her robes off.

"I, however, am going to attend Arithmancy," she added, picking up her bag. "You boys have fun, I'll see you at lunch."

The boys murmured their goodbyes politely and listened to her footsteps retreating away down the corridor. James watched as her dot passed the Potions classroom and made it safely to the entrance hall. When he glanced up, he found three sets of eyes staring at him.

"All right," Remus told him sternly. "Who was she and what have you done with Lily?"

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Lily slipped into Arithmancy, told Professor Marchbanks that she had been giving out a detention, and took her seat beside Emmeline.

"Have I missed anything?" she asked brightly as she took out her parchment and quills, and began to copy down the notes on the board.

Emmeline shrugged. "Not really. Where were you at breakfast?"

"Oh," came the nonchalant reply. "I sat with James and the boys."

Emmeline stared. "You _what_?"

"I sat with James and the boys," Lily repeated levelly. "Why?"

Emmeline grinned. "Oh, someone slimed Scummy in the face. But you probably saw. He was _furious_."

Lily nodded absently. "Mmm. Good."

"How are the plans for the Winter Ball coming along?" Emmeline asked suddenly, as Professor Marchbanks turned to the class and began to explain the magical properties of the number seven.

Lily shrugged. "James is very lazy with the paperwork, but good, I suppose. Why?"

"Have you set a date?"

"We were thinking December 17th."

"A week before Christmas?"

"Just before everyone goes home for the holidays, actually," Lily shrugged, still catching up on her notes. She shot a sideways glance toward Emmeline and smiled. "Why?"

"Just curious."

Lily looked at Emmeline, surprised and amused at the deliberately vague tone in her voice. She was curling her hair around and around her index finger, eyes slightly glazed as she watched the blackboard. Lily's own lips curled into a smile and she suppressed a laugh.

"So he asked you, then?" she murmured.

Emmeline blushed. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied.

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Sirius all but raced up to Lily and Emmeline as they entered the Great Hall for lunch, eyes lit up like a small child.

"We did it," he told her excitedly. "Got Snape, too. _Splat!_ Slid right off his greasy hair, too, the slime ball." He winked, nodded curtly to Emmeline and returned to the table without saying another word.

"What's this?" Emmeline murmured as they found their seats.

"I taught the boys how to shoot slime balls," Lily replied, helping herself to a bread roll and avoiding Emmeline's shocked look. "Sirius just wanted to let me know it worked, obviously."

"That was _you_ this morning? Scummy?"

Lily bit her lip and continued to avoid Emmeline's eye. "Maybe."

Emmeline let out a whoop of delight. "But that's just wonderful, Lily!" she exclaimed, grinning.

Lily met her eyes now, and grinned back, embarrassed. "It did feel good," she admitted.

Emmeline nodded. "Naturally. So it's true about you and James, then, too?"

"Who told you?"

"Benjy thought he saw you holding hands this morning."

"Maybe," Lily replied, appraising her friend. "Benjy tell you a lot of things, Em?"

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Sure, Lily, sure."

"How'd he ask you to the ball?"

"Well, he sent me an owl asking me to meet him, and then he-"

Emmeline was suddenly cut off by a strangled yell from somewhere near the doors. Turning, Lily and Emmeline discovered the very same Benjy of their conversation standing there, seething, as he slicked oozing green goop from his eyes.

Emmeline's face set. "BLACK!"

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**A/N****: Oh dear, Sirius is in trouble, **_**again**_**….**

**That's right, I'm back! Have you missed me? Exams are over, I think I passed, and I'm now looking forward to 5 weeks holiday… which also means, as I very sadly must inform you, Mischief Managed will soon be completed. Which is exciting, but sad… anyway, I hope you liked this chappy, sorry for the wait, and I'd very much love, as always, to hear your thoughts!**

**Lexie xx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer****: Everything you recognise from the Harry Potter books belongs to JKR. The text extract from the beginning of this chapter is partially taken from Amy Z's essay 'Spells & Charms: The Nature of Magic' which can be found on the Harry Potter Lexicon, although I have changed it here and there to suit my purposes (go take a look, I recommend it!). The rest is mine, and I shall claim it, as is my right. **

**A/N****: I don't like big A/Ns at the beginning, but bear with me because you need to know this. During the Full Moon incident, the boys are all transformed, and just to differentiate between them and their human forms, their animagi forms will be referred to by their nicknames. Finally, and just to clarify, I looked it up, because I didn't know, and apparently stags only grunt, where as does can grunt, bleat and blat (which sounds rather obscure) so my terminology for noises made by deer is **_**accurate**_**, no matter how weird it sounds!! Sorry for the interruption, and read on! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Nineteen: In which Lily goes Marauding and the Winter Ball arrives... **

_Words are just one ingredient of a spell, and as such there is only so much magic one can glean from words. An intangible and crucial element of most spells is intention, which can even make words unnecessary. Non-verbal spells are a convenient medium through which one can focus the intention of the spell, rather than the preciseness of its language._

"What are you reading?"

Lily startled and glanced up to find James leaning over the back of her lounge, smiling at her fondly.

"Oh, just revision," she murmured, setting the book aside and yawning. The fire was growing low in the grate, the flames casting flickering shadows across the Head's common room. James nodded, pushing himself back up into standing position. Suddenly, Lily noticed the cloak tucked under his arm.

"You going out?"

James nodded again. "Full moon," he explained softly.

Lily's eyes widened. James looked so calm, for someone that was setting off to spend a night with a werewolf. Although, really, he wasn't: he was going to spend a night with his friends, and it was as simple as that.

"Oh – be safe, then?" she murmured, standing up awkwardly. James leant across the lounge and kissed her cheek.

"Always, Lily. See you in the morning?"

Lily watched as he turned, checking his watch as he walked briskly out of the tower. It was Friday night, and in fact the night they had originally planned to hold the ball. Instead, James had had it pushed back to Saturday so that Remus would have some company. Sinking back down onto the lounge, she sighed. James had certainly proved to be full of surprises, and Lily couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty that she had been so cold to him for so long. She should have listened to Remus; but then, Lily conceded with a smile, if everyone listened to Remus the world would be perfect. She couldn't recall ever meeting someone who had such a knack for being right. And even so, she had misjudged him too. In fact, she had misjudged all of them… If only there was a way to make it up to them.

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James the stag (we shall call him Prongs) trotted out of the dark, earthy passageway and into the open, ducking beneath the knarled branches of the frozen Whomping Willow. Sweeping his impressive head around, he carefully checked for any movement before turning pack to the passageway and grunting gently. A cheerful bark responded, and moments later, a shaggy black dog came bounding out of the tunnel, closely followed by a ragged wolf, his coat streaked and mottled with grey and gold. A rat clung to the wolf's fur, riding with his head held high in pride. Prongs snorted and shook his head. _Rats were so conceited…_

As if able to read his thoughts, Wormtail turned to him, beady eyes accusing. Padfoot, ignoring this silent match of wills, snuffled softly and jerked his head eagerly toward the forest. The wolf grinned in reply, barring his sharply pointed teeth in anticipation. As one, the pack of Marauders set off toward the tumble of trees.

There was nothing Prongs enjoyed more than loping across the gently sloping grounds of Hogwarts, the full moon cast high in the night sky. They skirted around Hagrid's cottage, and made a fresh break for the cover of the trees, when much to the collective surprise of the stag, rat, dog and werewolf, a slender doe trotted out of the undergrowth to meet them.

Padfoot barked in amusement as Prongs immediately straightened, holding his head higher, a move that immediately transformed him into a very regal looking creature.

The doe, however, did not seem impressed. She approached them without fear, ducking her head in familiarity and bleating softly.

James shook his head, immediately aware of the effect the doe was having on him. He might have been a stag, but at that moment, his human mind unfurled, and he watched the doe with suspicion. One slip on the part of his animagus form, and Lily would never forgive him.

Prongs, on the other hand, didn't care very much about Lily. Prongs saw the fire-haired girl within James' mind's eye, and found this strange doe immediately more desirable. Unfortunately for Prongs, the doe seemed to be ignoring him. Instead she approached Moony, bowed her head, and butted his nose in a gesture of familiarity. The werewolf seemed to think for a moment, sniffing her carefully, before growling his approval.

Moony's consent changed things, and immediately Padfoot approached her, raising himself onto his hind legs to sniff her face suspiciously, too. Prongs watched jealously, and James laughed as the dog seemed to fall over in shock, until…

The doe finally turned her head toward Prongs. The creature's mind near-roared in approval, immediately wanting to claim her for his own. James gasped, unable to miss those distinctively coloured eyes. What other doe would have hazel eyes, picked with green…? It _had_ to be, but at the same time, James couldn't make head nor tail of it. _Lily?_

They met half way, and she butted the side of his head playfully, as if confirming her identity. Pleased that he didn't even have to win her over, Prongs grunted softly, low and deep, in approval, and nuzzled her face.

Padfoot barked again, and James had the nasty feeling his beloved mate was being as loud and obnoxious as he possibly could. Prongs glared at him, lowering his antlers threateningly, only to have Lily butt him in the head once more, her eyes laughing. Padfoot licked Lily's face in gratification, and jerked his head suggestively toward the forest once more. Prongs grinned, a very un-stag-like thing to do, his lips spreading wide to reveal his square-ish teeth. Throwing back his head, Moony howled into the night, before setting off at a run for the trees.

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"_Get up you lazy layabout, it's lunchtime!"_

James groaned quietly to himself. Eyes still squeezed shut against what would inevitably be blinding midday light, his hand searched blindly across the top of his nightstand for the offending alarm clock. Having shut that up, James yawned widely, collapsing back onto his pillows with a crackle.

A crackle? 

Peeling open an eye, he stretched a hand suspiciously behind him, until it landed on a piece of paper. A piece of paper that was in fact, a green, mottled piece of parchment. A green, mottled piece of parchment that was in fact addressed to him.

_How odd_.

Frowning, James opened his other eye, and unfolded the note.

_Dear James, _it read.

__

It's already 10am and it doesn't look like you're going to wake up any time soon. In fact, you look quite adorable, passed out on the bed like that (snoring your head off, too, I might add). I just wanted to let you know I'm spending the day with Em. We're going to get ready for the ball together. I know we haven't really discussed this any further, but last time you said you weren't going to ask me to the Ball, so I'm asking you instead. Meet me in the Head's Common Room by six?

- Lily

James grinned, lying back against his pillows as he read and re-read the note. Lily was one plucky girl, asking _him_ to the ball like that. That took a lot of gumption – something that James knew Lily possessed in spades, as did any typical Gryffindor. Not, he figured, that Lily hadn't realised there wasn't much at all at stake, anyway.

Feeling sufficiently awake, James dragged back the drapes around his bed, swung his legs to the side of the bed, and cast his eyes around for a pair of pants. Spotting an elusive pair of trousers flung across a chair, he stood up, stretched, and made his way across the room to retrieve them. If he hurried, he might just make lunch…

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It was three' o'clock, and the Marauders were lazing about the Gryffindor common room, watching the last minute rush for dates, and general Ball hysteria, accelerate. At approximately half past two, all the girls had mysteriously vanished from the common room, which left a great surplus of male energy. Soon, the common room had descended into chaos, with an impromptu match of Gobstones resulting in the nasty smelling liquid landing on a game of exploding snap. The results had been mildly disastrous.

James reclined by the fire, watching the frantic efforts of a few fifth- and sixth- year boys attempting to put out the small blaze that had engulfed one of the study tables. As Head Boy, James knew he should have been obliged to put the fire out, as he could have done with a lazy wave of his wand, but this way was so much more exciting; not to mention, the common room could surely stand the loss of one study table.

"I wonder what they're doing up there?" Sirius asked after a time, gazing toward the Girl's Staircase as if it were the entrance to a mystical and very foreign world.

James, on the other hand, who had been into Lily's room enough times to know that she was a great deal tidier than he, felt that Lily was not so diametrically opposed to him as the age old wizard versus witch debate suggested. In fact, they really were quite similar. Lily liked to wash her hair every second day; James every day. Lily liked mint toothpaste; James liked mint toothpaste. Lily was inclined to leave the bathroom mirror fogged after her shower; James could commonly be seen to be leaving the bathroom itself in a puff of white steam. Really, James had discovered that he and Lily were quite similar, so it came as a bit of a surprise when Sirius, Remus and Peter reacted to shocked to his flippant, "Oh, normal stuff," comment.

"Normal?" Peter had yelped. "Is it _normal_ to spend an entire day preparing for a party?"

"James, there _are_ only so many times one can brush one's hair," Remus added reasonably.

"Is it normal to take three hours to put on your makeup?" Sirius asked.

James frowned, affronted, a hand sweeping his face defensively. "What makes you think I wear makeup?" he demanded.

"Honestly, Prongs," Peter laughed, shaking his head. "What person takes _that_ much pride in their appearance? It just isn't natural."

"I don't know, Wormy," Sirius mused, now stroking his own jaw line thoughtfully. "You get out what you put in, if you know what I mean."

Remus scoffed. "Oh stop being vain, Sirius. James, it _isn't_ normal for the girls to exile themselves away in the name of beauty, but really, so long as it doesn't happen _too_ often, it isn't so bad, is it?"

Sirius was busy now eyeing his own staircase. "Moony," he asked carefully. "Would it be weird if I just went up and-"

"Yes, Padfoot, it would," Remus told him firmly. "No getting ready until at least five'o'clock."

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Being the considerate friend he was, Remus had exempted James from the 'no-preparation-until-five' rule on the grounds that Lily and James had to arrive early, and so were meeting each other at six. James had subsequently left the common room by four-thirty, and had made his way slowly through the school, nerves jumping about in his stomach as he thought about the night to come. He sincerely hoped that at the very least he wouldn't embarrass Lily on the dance floor, knowing full-well Sirius' tendency to send tripping spells into the dancers at random intervals. James' worrying carried him all the way across the school to the eastern corridor on the fourth floor, where the Carved Witch greeted him cheerfully.

"Ready for the big night?" she sung sweetly, her grainy smile dazzling in the dark wood.

"Just going to do that now," he told her. "_Amortentia_."

"From what I hear, it doesn't sound like you need that potion these days anyway!" she called cheekily as he entered and closed the door.

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James gulped.

_Really_, he thought as he paced the common room, _what was so scary about walking Lily to the ball?_

He had heard Lily's attempt to sneak into the Head's Tower about half an hour earlier, as he had been rattling around in the bathroom cabinets, searching for his particularly expensive _Black Magick_ aftershave (_Her night, magic; Your scent, unforgettable)_. Smiling as he listened to the muffled running up the stairs, James' rattling did not falter until he heard her bedroom door close. Now, some considerable time later, he had made a show of leaving his room and loudly closing the door, before clumping his way down the stairs in his shiny dragon-hide shoes. If that wasn't a hint, James didn't know what was, and yet, here he found himself, perched on the lounge, waiting for his Cinderella to alight from the stairwell.

The door to Lily's room opened, and in that instant, James knew exactly what was so intimidating about this small task, and exactly why she had made him wait for so long.

Lily looked absolutely gorgeous.

She disappeared from his view momentarily as she descended the stair, but all too quickly she appeared beside him on the heart-rug, smiling nervously.

"You look nice," she murmured, standing back to admire his black dress-robes before she leant up to peck his cheek. "And you smell _wonderful_."

James grinned, and caught her lips with his instead. "You_ look _ wonderful."

Lily blushed and her shy smile widened. "Thanks," she told him quietly, and accepted his arm. "Shall we?"

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Sirius Black _hated_ balls. He sat with Peter, glowering at the dancing and occasionally, when struck by that peculiar feeling of malice, he would throw a tripping spell into the hub of dancing people. At least, he conceded, it wasn't Christmas yet. Christmas cheer was so over-rated. He was quite sure that had there been floating sprigs of mistletoe attacking random couples, it would have been more than he could bear.

Out in the middle of the dance floor, James and Lily were dancing, his arms wrapped around her waist, her hands toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. James held her emerald gaze with his own, so like chocolate that Lily wanted to melt into that look.

Earlier, Professor McGonagall had waltzed past them with Professor Dumbledore, just in time to catch James dipping his head for a kiss.

" Mr. Potter, Miss Evans!" she had barked. "No tongues!"

Lily had blushed a lovely shade of red, James had burst out laughing, and Dumbledore had considerately steered McGonagall away.

"Well, this surpassed all my expectations," James murmured, bending down once more to whisper the words into her ear. "Quick, is McGonagall looking?"

"No," Lily replied after a subtle glance around, in which time James stole a quick, chaste kiss. Lily grinned up at him, surprise in her eyes. "And did it really? This is just how I imagined it, actually."

James laughed easily. "Well you have a higher opinion of dancing than I do," he teased. "I'll tell you a secret – Mum used to make Sirius and I practice dancing-"

"Well, that's not so b-"

"- with each other."

Lily's mouth curved into a perfect little 'o' of surprise and amusement, and James tried valiantly to look ashamed, although he couldn't stop beaming.

"May I cut in?"

Lily and James turned, quite surprised, to find Emmeline standing beside them, smiling.

"How long have you been there?' James asked, surrendering Lily to her best friend.

Emmeline grinned. "Long enough to hear your little confession."

"If you tell anyone—"

"Empty threat," Emmeline teased. "Now go away, we have some girly gossip to catch up on!"

Pretending to grumble, James did as he was told, although he didn't terribly mind. As wonderful as dancing with Lily was, he could be fairly certain the boys were off pranking some unsuspecting couple, and he quite fancied joining in their fun.

Lily and Emmeline watched James' retreating back until they could no longer see him through the crowd.

"Well, _someone_ seems disgustingly happy," Emmeline told her, a superior tone to her voice, as she slipped her hands around Lily's waist in an imitation of James.

Laughing, Lily placed her arms over Emmeline's shoulder, and they began to sway to the music, the odd pair in a sea of courting couples.

"Me or you?" Lily replied carelessly, rolling her eyes at the group of third year boys who were attempting to start a mosh pit.

"You, naturally. I am merely happy, and there is nothing disgusting about it."

Lily grinned. "Is this how you pictured seventh year?"

Emmeline shook her hair, her long blonde hair shimmering down her back. "No, definitely not. This is much better."

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James had scanned the room several times over before concluding his fellow Marauders had bailed on the Ball all together. That was until he overheard a rather hysterical second year girl being calmed by a circle of sympathetic friends, who were brushing snow out of her hair. Smiling slightly, James decided an investigation of the Entrance Hall was in order, to turf out the perpetrators. Unless of course, the perpetrators were the particular group of boys James suspected were behind this prank, in which case, he had every intention of joining them. He wandered casually out of the Great Hall to find, surely enough - _thud_ – something cold and wet trickling down the side of his face.

Over near the stairs, his three friends broke into laughter. Sirius cuffed Wormtail over the head.

"Nice one, Wormy. Sorry Prongs."

Slicking the snow off his cheek, James moved up the marble staircase to sit beside Sirius. "What are you lot doing out here, anyway?"

Sirius blinked, reclining against a higher step. "Peter was getting depressed," he murmured, not meeting James' eyes. "Em and Fenwick were kissing on the dance floor."

James raised his eyebrows, not missing the significance of this event.

"Actually, Em's dancing with Lily at the moment – but that's not the point. What is _Peter _going to do about it?" he inquired quietly, so quietly that no one but Sirius was capable of hearing.

Sirius shrugged and plucked at his dress robes. "Absolutely nothing. She's happy: that's all that matters," he replied, equally as quiet.

The doors of the Great Hall opened again, and Sirius nonchalantly flicked a snowball toward the couple attempting to slip away unnoticed. They startled as the cool white power hit their fancy clothing, and scowled toward the stairs. Peter gave them a jaunty little wave.

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"May I have the next dance?"

Lily and Emmeline had given up their waltz, and instead had settled themselves on the comfy chairs that lined the dance floor, watching the rest of the school chat, flirt and generally embark on a bit of winter cheer.

Now, Lily smiled up at Benjy and gestured grandly with her hand. "Of course, she's all yours."

Emmeline grinned at her as she stood and allowed Benjy to guide her back out into the throng of dancers.

"Lily!" A voice exclaimed behind her, and Lily turned in her seat to find Art Scamander moving to stand beside her, watching the dance floor with a knowing smile. "And how does such a beautiful young lady come to find herself all alone at this time of night? Prince Charming hasn't abandoned you to the elves, has he?"

"I think you mean dwarves," Lily told him coolly, standing up. "And no, he hasn't. He's busy: Head's stuff. You wouldn't understand. Good night, Art."

Lily turned and walked away, making sure she put a considerable amount of distance between herself and her ex-boyfriend before she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling positively forlorn. Art was right: _where_ was_ James?_ He'd probably gone off gallivanting with his friends, and forgotten all about her.

_No_, Lily told herself firmly, knowing that the latter was not true. _Don't be silly._

Air. _I need air_, she decided, and without much further ado, she set off toward the doors.

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"Here comes another," Peter announced excitedly, watching the doors inch slowly open.

He exchanged an excited look with Remus, who was appearing increasingly tired of their little game. James caught sight of the distinctive dress-robes and wine-red hair, stopping Peter's attack only a moment soon enough. The four boys watched in silence as Lily hurried out of the Great Hall, arms wrapped around herself feebly, as if for comfort, and headed out the front doors. Flashing his friends an apologetic look, James stood and slowly made his way down the stairs, his athletic body showing every sign of restraint as he cautiously followed Lily out into the night.

Sirius watched James' broad back disappear into the night, frowning.

"And that's the last we ever saw of him," he sniffed, mockingly.

Remus frowned at his friend reproachfully. "Oh grow up, Sirius," he said. "I haven't seen either of them so happy in years. This might just be the real thing, so stop being so sour about it."

Sirius scowled. "She better be worth it," he grumbled, refusing to meet Remus' eyes.

If he had, Sirius would have seen them roll, a sign that even the great patience of Remus Lupin was wearing thin. "She is to James," Remus told him softly. "He loves her. He might not have said it, but I can see it in his eyes every time he looks at her. And we all know how long he's fancied her. Are you really going to deny him his happiness?"

"But we're his friends," Peter objected, attempting coming to Sirius' rescue.

Much to his surprise, Sirius himself swiftly cut him off.

"We're his brothers," he corrected curtly. "And that's much more important than-"

"Is it really?" Remus interrupted, that familiar knowing smile spread across his face. "We're his family, and James will always come back to his family, but he's allowed to fall in love too, isn't he?"

Sirius looked away, picking up his wand and maliciously flicking a snowball toward the Great Hall doors. Unfortunately for Sirius, Professor McGonagall chose that moment to step outside and get smacked in the face.

Spotting the three boys by the staircase almost immediately, and quickly singling Sirius out as the wand-bearer, McGonagall's eyebrows knit together.

"BLACK!"

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Lily hurried out into the cold night air, gasping as it hit her skin. She look slow, deep breaths as her heels crunched through the fine, powdery snow that radiated from the front of the castle, watching as her breath rose in small puffs of steam into the darkness.

Casting her gaze around the grounds, Lily paused, frowning. Down, away toward the forest, light was flickering across the snowy hillside as if a giant-bonfire was being held. Lily frowned. Not only was that not allowed, it was extremely dangerous; what if the forest caught on fire?

Immediately forgetting her lack of warm clothing and footwear, she set off across the snow, feet finding the stone-hewn path that wound down around the tumbling hills toward Hagrid's hut. As she rounded the old Seeing Stones, Lily gasped.

She hadn't been wrong about the fire; in fact, she'd been terribly, terribly right.

Seven cloaked figures stood before Hagrid's hut, laughing with glee as Hagrid's dog snarled at them, watching the big-boned man desperately trying to put out the fire raging in his rooftop.

Lily drew a sharp breath of indignation and hurried closer.

"_Estingua!"_

A great mound of snow lifted clean in the air and settled delicately on the rooftop. The cloaked figures turned, furious, to the Head Girl and were just ready to draw their wands when a hand clasped Lily on the shoulder.

"Fifty points from Slytherin," James told them furiously. "Get back inside, now, and don't think that Dumbledore won't hear of this!"

As one, the Slytherins, whom James estimated were no older than fourth year, shot Lily and James a very nasty look and fled.

James sighed, removed his hand, and turned to examine the damage. Steam was now rising from the rooftop in great billowing clouds, but the clouds were white, and it was clear the fire had been extinguished.

Lily, on the other hand, turned to Hagrid, who was standing watching his home with frustration.

"Ruddy kids," he grumbled. "All I was doin' was checkin' on Fang here, an' they ruddy followed me out an' attacked me!"

He turned to face Lily, shaking his head, and Lily gasped. "Hagrid, your face!"

Hagrid fingered the burn on his cheek and winced. "Well, what did yeh expect me ter do, leave Fang in there ter burn?" he asked.

Lily climbed the steps to the still smoldering house and beckoned him over. Gently, she examined the burn, before scooping up some snow and pressing it to the wound. Hagrid winced, but didn't move away.

"Thanks Lily," he mumbled quietly. "I've never felt so ruddy useless-"

"I think you should go and see Madam Pomfrey," James suggested suddenly, returned from his examination of the interior roof. "The hut doesn't look too damaged, surprisingly."

"Reinforcement spells," Hagrid winked proudly, before hastily adding, "Not that I did 'em myself, an' don't you go getting such ideas!"

James winked. "Of course not."

Hagrid sent Fang back inside, and with a sigh closed and locked his door.

"Thank you, you two. Haven't seen a better Head Boy and Girl for all my years here," he told them gruffly.

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Lily and James walked back up to the castle in silence, although once they were inside once more, James' hand appeared, from where it had been stuffed deep into the pocket of his dress robed, to clasp Lily's, entwining their fingers as they strolled toward the Head's Tower. So far as they could tell, the Ball was continuing in the Great Hall, although there was no sign of the Marauders.

James measured each step carefully, marveling over Lily's prompt reaction to the fire, and her practical knowledge on how to deal with Hagrid's burn. Most of all, though, James was stunned and impressed by the compassion and kindness that he had seen in her - _not,_ a little voice reminded him, _ that he should have been surprised_.

Not everyone was kind to Hagrid, a fact that James knew well, but it did seem natural for Lily to be just as caring with Hagrid as she was with anyone else. He watched Lily's hair, formerly twisted into a lovely up-do, now trailing down her back in graceful tumbles, and smiled. This was simply something extra to admire about his girl – and James felt he could cope with that.

Lily was mortified by James' silence. She supposed he wanted an explanation of her sudden disappearance from the ball – how else would he have found her, unless he had been looking for her? When they reached the Carved Witch, James murmured the password, and stood back to let her in. The fire was crackling merrily in the grate, as always, but Lily winced at the flames, put a hand to her forehead and chose instead to go up to bed. Frowning, James extinguished the flames and followed.

"Lily."

She turned, eyes expectant, as he spoke her name, but James merely smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"You look beautiful tonight. Sweet dreams."

And with that parting remark, he nodded and disappeared into his own room.

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Lily rose early, her head pounding with what felt like a hangover to rival the morning she dumped Art. Gritting her teeth, she rolled out of bed, dressed quickly and managed to stumble down to breakfast in the vain hope that some food would set her right.

The Great Hall had been transformed back to it's usual magnificence, with the four house tables stretching along it's length, and the Hogwarts banner returned to its place above the teacher's table. Very few people were eating breakfast at this hour; in fact, Lily suspected that, being Sunday, most of the school would be sleeping in until lunchtime.

"Morning, Lily."

Lily glanced up, startled, to find Remus taking the seat opposite her. She had forgotten that it was only full moon a few days ago: indeed, in the anticipation for the Winter Ball, she had almost forgotten about her own personal adventure with the Marauders. Remus' face looked white and drawn: in short, the poor boy was exhausted.

"How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

He sighed wearily, and rested his head in his hands. "Terrible," he confessed. "Sirius had me on pepper-up potions all yesterday to have me all right for last night, but I can really feel it today."

Lily frowned. "Side effects?"

"Loads," Remus confirmed. "I had about five, though," he added as an afterthought.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well that explains it."

Remus grinned guiltily, then suddenly leant forward. "Peter told me you came, too," he told her, voice lowered. "How did you like it?"

Lily blinked. "You – you can't remember?"

Remus shook his head sadly. "Nary a thing, milady. It doesn't work like that. When I'm a wolf – well, I'm _all_ wolf. When the lads transform, though, they seem to keep themselves about them, if you know what I mean?"

Lily nodded quickly. "I do – I, _er_, transformed too."

Remus smiled. "I knew you had it in you. How did you like it?"

"Oh, very much, I-"

The doors to the Great Hall burst open, signaling the arrival of James and Sirius. Sirius was rubbing his head, exhausted, but James strode forward steadily, purpose in his eyes.

Reaching Lily's seat, he pulled her roughly into standing position, and kissed her.

_He's kissing me_, Lily's mind registered blankly. _How odd. It's very early for kisses_.

James pulled away, grinning.

"What was that for?" Lily demanded, stunned.

"For being the most amazing witch I've ever met." James' smile just broadened. "Remember I told you that I fancied you?"

Lily nodded dumbly, completely confused. James kissed her again. "I take it back."

"Oh?"

"Oh," James confirmed. "I lied. I don't just fancy you, Lily Evans, I love you."

Lily blinked again, a slow, cat-like smile spreading across her face.

"Is that so, James Potter?"

"It is," James confirmed.

"Good." Lily kissed him again. "Because I think I might just love you too."

She felt James smile against her lips.

"Are you _quite finished_?"

James and Lily sprung apart to find Professor McGonagall looking at them with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, Professor," Lily replied quickly.

McGonagall raised her brow even higher.

"Are you quite sure?"

James nodded empathetically, his eyes wide in his startled face. "Very sure, Miss – I mean, Professor."

McGonagall smiled, her own eyes twinkling. "Lovely. Then, perhaps," she suggested, turning and gesturing to the random groups of students who had all turned to watch, "_perhaps_ the rest of the school can get on with their breakfasts now?"

James grinned, his hand finding Lily's and clasping it tight in reassurance, softening her stricken expression. "Certainly."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. That's very considerate of you."

Sirius and Remus were sniggering into their cereal as Lily sunk back down into her seat, mortified.

James sat beside her, looking half inclined to laugh. "She certainly knows how to interrupt the perfect moment," he murmured lightly, helping himself to toast.

Remus grinned. "Did you see Scummy's face? He looked like he wanted to vomit."

Sirius rolled his eyes and grinned ruefully. "So do I. I tell you, Prongs, you certainly know how to ruin a person's appetite."

He proceeded to stuff his face with bacon and eggs, much to Lily's disgust.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick, too."

James glanced at her momentarily in concern, before returning his glare toward the Ravenclaw table, where Art Scamander was still seated, looking rather resentful.

"What's his problem?" he asked abruptly.

Lily followed his line of glance, and rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm happy, without him. Which is what I was trying to impress on his thick skull last night when he attempted to chat me up again."

"He _what?_" James repeated, voice dangerously low as he drew his wand.

Lily placed a gentle hand over his own, lowering it, as she pulled out her own.

"Allow me."

Even Sirius stopped eating to gaze in surprise at Lily.

"_Appiccicoso_."

James grinned, turning away again, as the telltale sound of impact carried across the Hall, signaling the collision between an unidentified green, gooey substance and the face of Artemis Scamander III. Instead, the Head Boy proffered his face for a kiss. Sirius flinched, distracting him momentarily.

"His mouth was open," was all that Sirius offered by way of explanation. Seeing James and Lily glance at him confused, Sirius gestured toward Art.

"Never mind," he told them cheerfully. "Do continue…"

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**A/N****: And so another chapter closes on Mischief Managed. Only one more (plus epilogue) to go! I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and the story in general! Once this is all over, I might go back and smooth out a few things so that they flow better in general, if anyone has any suggestions on any required improvements I would be most glad to hear them (although, of course, I will stop short at changing the plot). Thanks so much, as always, for reading…**

**Lexie. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:**** Everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. 'I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus' is a Christmas Carol that belongs to someone other than me, also. However, the plot is most certainly mine. **

**A/N:**** I just thought I'd try this, since I've never done it before. This chapter is dedicated you guys, the readers who have contributed over 15000 hits; to the roughly 55 people who have added this to their favourites; to the 65ish people who have this on story alert, and especially, to the people who have given me over 250 reviews. Your support really makes my day, guys!**

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**Chapter Twenty: In which the Marauders wreak havoc at Christmas (but not really)**

The Monday before Christmas, the castle was suddenly flushed of a great majority of its students, who were returning home to their families for the holidays. Lily spent Sunday evening with Emmeline, helping her pack while her best friend talked happily of her return home, and of the day in London she and Benjy had planned together, the day before their return to school. Lily listened patiently, exclaiming at all the right moments, and was cheerful enough for Emmeline to miss the secret longing hidden within Lily's almond-shaped eyes. James, on the other hand, hadn't missed the arrival of a letter just before lunchtime, nor Lily's deeply saddened reaction. Her mother, the letter said, was feeling rather ill, and her father thought it might be best for Lily to stay at school that Christmas. James had given her a weak smile, and grasped her hand.

"Don't be so sad, Lils. The lads and me are all staying. You won't be lonely."

"You're not going home to a family who wants you there?"

James had shrugged, pulling her into a hug. "Dad will be working all holidays anyway. Besides, this is the last chance for Marauders to wreak havoc on Hogwarts over Christmas. Do you really think we'd miss it?"

Lily had laughed quietly. "No, I suppose not."

James had then pulled away and peered down at her, smiling. "I'm glad you're staying," he confessed.

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Lily and Emmeline finished packing, and moved down to the common room, taking the comfy armchairs by the fire just as three fourth years vacated them. James sat with the Marauders across the room, and had found it impossible to miss Sirius' unblinking staring toward Miss Vance.

James nudged him gently. "Oi."

"Oi what?" Sirius asked crossly, tearing his eyes away for a moment to glare at James.

"Stop staring at Em."

"Was not," Sirius responded softly, and excessively childishly.

'Were too," James retorted, a smile playing around his lips.

Sirius stood up abruptly. "Fancy a trip to the kitchens, Prongs?"

"I do!" Peter replied eagerly, while Remus kicked him.

"We're staying here," Remus told him, smiling painfully at James.

James frowned, not wanting to leave any of his friends behind, but Remus merely shrugged.

"I'd like a chocolate muffin, if it's not too much trouble," Remus added.

Sirius smirked. "Oh, I bet you would, wouldn't you, Moony?"

James rolled his eyes and roughly dragged Sirius away, pausing by the fire and smiling at Lily and Emmeline.

"Fancy anything from the kitchens, girls?"

Lily smiled and shook her head, although Emmeline requested a pastie, smiling sweetly at them both all the while.

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As soon as James and Sirius left the common room, James heard Sirius sharply expel his breath. Crossing his arms, the Head Boy raised his eyebrows.

"Is it really that hard to be around her?"

Sirius sighed. "Yes," he replied, sounding miserable. "Pete and I could form W.A.L.E - the "We All Love Em" fan club. It's bad, Prongs. You have no idea."

James scoffed, and rolled his eyes. "You seem to forget that I've fancied Lily for years."

Sirius shot him a look of disbelief. "But that's completely different!"

James frowned, falling silent as they continued their way down the school. It was rather late, although not quite curfew, and there didn't seem to be anyone else about. It was strange, to have the school so deserted, but at the same time it suited his purposes perfectly: namely, it was empty enough to hold a private conversation without being overheard by anyone but the portraits. And, as Peter had always said, rather darkly, '_The portraits know everything, anyway._"

"How?" James asked finally, as they made their way down the marble staircase into the Entrance Hall. "How is it any different?"

"Because everyone could see that _you_ were going to get your happy ending. Not me, Prongs. The Black family doesn't _do_ happy endings."

James opened and closed his mouth, surprised, and found that for once in his life he couldn't offer his best mate any comfort.

"You're not much of a Black, anyway," James said eventually. "Always gone against tradition. Plus, you're a Marauder. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Sirius seemed to consider that, pushing open the door and entering the cheerfully lit passageway that led to the kitchens.

"Marauders do the honourable thing," he said finally. "And the honourable thing, for me anyway, is to do nothing, Prongs. Emmeline's happy, and last time I interfered I messed things up."

James grinned, remembering the sound of Emmeline's cauldron contacting with Sirius' head.

"Besides," Sirius added. "I _am_ a Black, as much as I want to ignore it. I'm as stubborn, bitter and cynical as the best of them. So I think I'll just sit back and let her go, thanks very much."

"And you won't sit there and moan about your long suffering love?"

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh suddenly. "Hardly. I had to listen for you for long enough, you've thoroughly put me off pining. Although I can't speak for Pete."

James shrugged as they reached the entrance to the kitchen. Carefully, he extended a single finger and tickled the pear.

"Peter's always been all talk anyway," James said lightly. "I wouldn't worry."

The pear became a handle, put James hesitated. "Sirius?"

Sirius looked at him, surprised by the tone of his voice.

James smiled, reassuringly. "Just wanted you to know I'm proud of you, for putting Em first, and all that."

Sirius grinned and rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that, Prongs," he protested, although secretly pleased. "Besides," he added offhandedly, although his eyes were serious, "I had a good teacher."

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In the ensuing days, with the castle so empty, Lily seemed to move about it in a daze. It wasn't that she had never stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays before, and more so that all her previous Hogwarts Christmases had been celebrated by choice. On the other hand, it was lovely to be able to take a break from patrol duties, and Lily could quite easily source out a cozy corner in the library in which to sit and immerse herself in a book without any interruptions…. Well, almost.

"You feel like a walk?"

Lily glanced up from her book, startled, to meet the hazel eyes of her wild-haired boyfriend. She nodded. "Sure."

Carefully, Lily bookmarked her page. James watched, faintly amused by Lily's obvious reverence.

"Cloaks?"

"Of course."

James took her hand as they wandered through the school, making Lily smile at the simplest of gestures.

Without the usual crowd of students, the grounds too seemed to be flourishing. The snow lay across the rolling hills largely untouched, except for the deep footprints that led down towards Hagrid's hut. James and Lily followed them, laughing as they leapt from hole to hole. The fun ended abruptly for James as he lost his balance, landed face first in the snow and decided that it was so cold he didn't fancy repeating the experience.

Lily laughed to hard that it was some time before she offered to help him up, a small, cheeky smile on her face. With a sympathetic wave of her wand, he was completely dry again.

"You amaze me," he murmured gratefully as they resumed their walk.

It might have been the cold air whipping colour into Lily's bright pink cheeks, but James didn't think so. Her emerald eyes were large and bright in her little, flushed face, and her hair set the snow on fire, spilling down her back in rich red waves. Feeling suddenly compelled, James cleared his throat.

"Lily?" he began. "You know when I said I loved you?"

Lily raised her face to look at him, eyes glittering with mischief. "You lied?" she prompted.

James frowned, confused, until he recalled that they had been his exact same words only a week before. He grinned then, and rolled his eyes. "_No_," he told her, deliberately emphasizing her silliness.

"It's more… That I want you to know that this is so real to me, Lily. It's not just some childish thing we have going on. Well, I mean, I don't know how you feel, but I know that…"

He broke off, running his hands through his permanently ruffled black hair, and looking thoughtful. Lily watched him, patiently waiting for him to continue. He was almost a good foot taller than her, she realised with surprise as she gazed up into his face. His left hand was now fingering the bridge of his long nose.

"I just want you to know that I'm in this for the long haul, if that's what you want."

Lily blinked, eyes still intently focused on James' face. It was his turn to colour under her gaze. Nevertheless he didn't break eye contact, and Lily felt her stomach flutter as he grinned. _He was what?_ She smiled weakly back.

"What do you mean?"

James shrugged, casually draping an arm around her and resuming their walk. "Nothing important," he told her. "At least not yet, anyway."

"_James._"

He detected a warning note in her voice now, and she tried to pull away from his arms.

"You can't just go all serious and then not explain yourself," she accused, gloved hands planted on her hips.

"Can't a guy be mysterious?"

"Not _my_ guy."

James blinked, once more surprised, and then smiled ruefully. "This is going to sound rather silly," he warned her gruffly.

Lily shrugged, and cocked her head to the side, waiting. James sighed.

"Well, Miss Evans, the fact of the matter is that I have the full intention of marrying you one day."

Lily squinted up at him, her face inscrutable. James waited, twisting his free hand behind his back, the only betrayal of his nerves that he would allow.

Lily finally nodded. "Good," she said, and resumed walking toward the lake.

James watched her, confused. Now what did _'good'_ mean? Lily turned, still moving toward the lake, to beam at him.

"Are you coming or what?"

But she wasn't going to have to wait very long: James was already running. He caught her in a hug, so fiercely that Lily, who had still been walking backwards through the snow at the time, toppled backwards, landing beneath James with a small squeak.

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Hogwarts became increasingly festive toward the end of the week. Floating balls of mistletoe seemed to zoom out of nowhere to drift above Lily's head whenever she was with James, and when she wasn't with James, she was invariably attacked by sprigs of holly trailing delicate little snowflakes that settled in her hair and refused to melt. The portraits were all getting into the swing of things, and held wild, raucous parties fuelled by spiked eggnog late into the night. But no where, it seemed, was exuding a more festive spirit than the kitchens – at least, according to the four boys who seemed to be spending an awful lot of time down there.

"It's a Marauder tradition," Sirius explained lightly as they made their way through the school on Christmas Eve. Today, as their work had been finished, Lily was allowed to join them, and she did so with a great curiosity.

"I hope you haven't been doing anything against the rules, Sirius," she told him sternly. "I'd hate to have to dock points."

"Oh come off it Lily, its Christmas!" Remus smiled. "Would we ever do something illegal?"

Lily frowned. "_Well_, there was that time…" She was cut off abruptly by a large hand covering her mouth.

"You heard _absolutely nothing_," James warned her, so seriously that Lily gulped and nodded, completely missing the laughter in his eyes.

In fact, James' warning and Remus' chastisement kept Lily silent for the entire trip down to the kitchens. Remus was right, it was Christmas, and she needed to relax and have fun. The boys had never meant (or, to Lily's knowledge, _caused_) any harm, and Lily was quite sure that James was determined for things to stay that way. Timidly, she slipped her hand into his, not darning to make eye contact, but at the same time obviously asking for forgiveness. He squeezed her fingers reassuringly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then, it occurred to her that she was being rather silly anyway; this was James after all, the boy who could never be angry with her. Plus, after all, it _was_ Christmas.

"So what have you been doing?" Lily asked quietly. "Helping the house-elves cook?"

James grinned. "Naw…. Like Sirius said, it's sort of a tradition. Every year we go down to the kitchens at Christmas and teach the elves-"

"And Moony," Peter sniggered, earning himself a sharp jab in the ribs from Remus.

"- to sing Christmas Carols."

"Oh?" Lily murmured. It was the sort of 'Oh' one exclaimed when they couldn't think of anything more to say. "That sounds like…. fun?"

They had reached the entrance to the kitchens, and Sirius grinned as he tickled the pear. "Oh Lily, you have _no_ idea…"

The kitchen was a chorus of noise. If Lily strained, she could pick up the gentle rhythm of song… Except that each busy house elf seemed to be singing to their own tune and rhythm. Of course, the noise ceased as the four boys and their guest filed into the kitchen.

"Good morning, everyone!" Sirius called brightly. "Ready for practice?"

Lily was astonished to see their little faces light up with broad, toothy smiles as they finished what they were doing and made their way toward the boys, forming themselves into three lines: front row sitting, middle row kneeling, and back row standing.

"We are ready, if you pleases, Masters?" a tiny, female elf in the front row squeaked, looking excited.

Sirius elbowed Remus. "In you go, Moony," he murmured with a patronizing smile.

Remus sighed reluctantly and moved forward to kneel beside the standing row of elves. The elf on his left, an elderly kitchen-hand named Barmy, bowed in greeting. Lily tried to hide a smile at the sight of Remus with the elves, something which none of his three other friends even bothered to do. In fact, Peter produced a camera and took a few photos.

"All right," James said. "One, two…. Three!"

The house elves began to hum, conducted by Sirius. Remus, looking distinctly embarrassed, tentatively joined in. It seemed that these were the first few opening bars, as suddenly the kitchen once again broke into noise.

"No, follow my hands!" Sirius commanded gently, kneeling in front of them and attempting to look stern but kind. "Let's start back from the first line."

James had moved behind Lily and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Why do you make Remus sing?" Lily asked, bewildered, as she eyed the strange choir.

She could feel James shrug. "We needed someone to offset their high little voices, and Remus didn't mind. Not _really_, anyway. Secretly, old Moony loves this just as much as they do."

Lily nodded thoughtfully as she watched Sirius once again pause the choir.

Several hours later, Sirius seemed to feel he was getting somewhere. He called everyone in close, and announced that he thought they were ready to give it a proper try. James beamed.

However, it took about seven of Sirius' "proper tries" for any definite lyrics to emerge… And when they did, Lily found herself clapping her hands over her mouth, although whether it was to hide her horror or her amusement, Lily herself couldn't be quite sure.

_

" I saw Minnie kissing Dumbledore

_

Underneath the mistletoe last night

They didn't see me creep

Down the stairs to have a peep

They thought that I was tucked up in my dorm-room fast asleep

...

Then, I saw Minnie tickle Dumbledore

Underneath his beard so snowy white

Oh, what a laugh it would have been

If Sluggy had only seen

Minnie kissing Dumbledore last night

...

I saw Minnie kissing Dumbledore

Underneath the mistletoe last night

They didn't see me creep

Down the stairs to have a peep

They thought that I was tucked up in my dorm-room fast asleep

...

Then, I saw Minnie tickle Dumbledore

Underneath his beard so snowy white

Oh, what a laugh it would have been

If Sluggy had only seen

Minnie kissing Dumbledore last night

Last night!"

James turned to Lily, grinning. "Well, what do you think?"

Lily thought about it for a moment. True, the sound of all the chorusing house-elves (plus Remus) had been quite amusing, and the carol was essentially a classic. On the other hand, it was so terribly offensive, not only to poor Professor McGonagall but also Professor Dumbledore himself…. And _then_, Lily remembered.

"Why didn't you just use that 'Oh Snivelly' song you used to torture Snape earlier this year? And what is it with you Marauders and Christmas Carols, anyway?"

James shrugged. "Well," he said reasonably. "They're fun, and festive, and they brighten the castle. We make up a new one every year. And we couldn't use that one again because the lyrics weren't very Christmassy any more, were they?"

Lily had to concede point. "I suppose not, no."

"So?" James prompted, smiling as though he already knew the answer.

Lily sighed. _Well, it _was_ Christmas_, she reminded herself._ And the house elves _did_ seem to enjoy themselves..._ Then, the Head Girl smiled.

"I think its fantastic."

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Christmas Day appeared in a flurry of activity. Lily was woken at a startlingly early hour by James, who had carried both of their piles of presents down to the common room so that they could open them together. Lily realised immediately that something else was also amiss, as James looked rather sheepish. It took Lily three good bouts of pillow fighting to have James confess that he had tripped and mixed their gifts up.

Lily and James had spent a good ten minutes trying to sort out whose gift was whose when there came a great hammering on the Carved Witch.   
"Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew," she called weakly. "Please can I let them in, it hurts!"

James smiled and granted her permission, and was shocked to see that she _was_ looking rather battered (for a carving, at any rate), when the door swung open. Sirius, Remus and Peter piled in, looking to be in various stages between anger and amusement.

"Prongs!" Sirius bellowed. "_Where_ are my presents?"

When James grinned sheepishly for the second time that morning, Lily braced herself, feeling the situation appeared somewhat ominous. Lily wondered whether James, too, was experiencing a sense of _deja vu_.

"Merry Christmas!" he said, trying and failing to sound jovial. "I had the house elves bring them here, so we would all open them together…"

Lily groaned audibly and eyed the two (admittedly large) piles of gifts that she and James had just sorted out. "Don't even say it," she warned him darkly.

James looked genuinely incredulous. "Don't say what? They're behind the lounge, lads!"

The second major incident came half-way through the day, when Peter and Sirius decided it might be fun to enchant all the wizarding bon-bons so that not only did they explode like a canon and produce real hats and random paraphernalia, they would do it on a rather large scale.

Even Professor Dumbledore conceded, with a festive twinkle in his eye, that it _did_ make Christmas lunch exciting to have four ferrets (the size of large dogs) and seven white rabbits (which were even larger) running around the Great Hall, before a ferret inevitably discovered the door to the entrance hall.

Lily smiled, watching the final rabbit vanish through the oak doors, and shook her head. Across the table, Professor Flitwick's hat was so large that when he tried it on, he vanished completely beneath it. Beside him, Hagrid kindly plucked it off and settled it on his own head, pronouncing it a perfect fit, with a wink to James.

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"Our last Christmas at Hogwarts," Remus sighed wistfully, watching the snowflakes flutter down onto the blanket of white that seemed to flow across the school grounds.

The Marauders had moved a lounge up to the Head's Tower gallery, and set it in front of the picture window to watch the snow, in a rare moment of reflection. Lily had come out of her room some time ago to find them like this, and she leant in her doorway, as she had seen James do so many times before, and watched them.

Sirius, sensing her gaze, looked around at her and smiled, beckoning her over. Lily complied.

"Budge up, there, Wormy, make room for the Head Girl," Sirius ordered, effectively evicting Peter from his seat on the lounge and forcing him to perch instead on the arm-rest.

Lily squeezed herself in between Sirius and James, who merely smiled peacefully at her and draped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer.

Lily watched the snowflakes falling down upon the school. They twirled and fluttered around in the sky, hesitant, before they took the plunge to the ground. That was exactly how Lily felt. She was sitting here, fluttering around her last six months of school before she took the plunge into adulthood: an increasingly dark and scary world. Tearing her eyes away from the snowflakes, she studied each of the boys' faces. Remus' was drawn, and Lily knew he was bearing the great burden of uncertainty, perhaps the greatest of them all. Being what he was, Remus was going to have a difficult job finding work and a life outside this school, which had sheltered and nurtured him for so many years.

Sirius looked calm: the calmest Lily had seen him for weeks, She did not know of James and Sirius' conversation a week ago regarding Emmeline, but a noticeable change had come over him. He was more considerate now, and less moody, as if a great weight had been lifted from him.

Peter looked worried, although not so worried as Remus. She supposed he was anxious about the exams, and about leaving Hogwarts, as they all were, to a certain extent.

And then, Lily turned to examine James. A light glowed from his eyes that she hadn't seen in years: he seemed content, just to sit and while the hours away with his arms around her and his friends by his side.

Sirius broke the silence.

"You know, since you seem to have decided to crash the Marauders, Lily, I think you need a nickname."

Lily glanced at him and raised her eyebrows. "Crashing, am I? So sorry to interrupt!"

James arm tightened around her, just in case she had decided to leave. "You're not Lils, Sirius is just being an idiot," he explained calmly.

"I know," she replied. "But I still don't need a nickname. You'll only come up with something stupid, anyhow."

"You think our nicknames are stupid?" Peter sounded insulted.

"Peter, if your nicknames were sensible, I'd be alarmed, because that's not normal for you lot anyway. And that wasn't the point. I'm quite content not to have a silly nickname of my own."

"I feel Rudolph would be quite sensible," Remus argued, laughter in his eyes.

Sirius grinned. " No, no, Prancer is much better. Just like the way Lily pranced around Prongs for years."

Lily poked out her tongue. "No, no Rudolphs or Prancers or Dashers or Dancers."

"Or Cupids?"

"No, James, no cupids."

James sighed, feigning disappointment, before a wide, cheeky grin spread across his face. "Oh, I have it," he said quietly, sounding so triumphant that Lily was alarmed.

"Well?" Remus prompted into James' silence.

If it was possible, James' grin widened. "Vixen."

"James!"

"Nice, Prongs." Sirius offered his hand for a high-five in appreciation.

"But that's a fox, not a deer…"

"It's in the song!" James protested, laughing, as Lily hit him.

Remus watched, amused, as Lily blushed, her face growing redder and redder, although it was impossible to tell whether her reaction was in embarrassment or anger.

"It's just a bit of fun, Lily," Remus told her gently, rolling his eyes.

"No one's calling you anything you don't want to be called, Vixen."

"That's enough. Stop ribbing Lily, Padfoot."

"Fine," Sirius sighed. "I'm sorry, I was only joking, Lily."

The red was slowly draining from Lily's face, and she was biting her lip. Sirius strongly suspected she was fighting the urge to smile.

"That's all right, Sirius," she said quietly.

The group lapsed back into silence. Peter chewed his thumb, Remus returned his gaze to the window, and James rested his head on Lily's.

Suddenly, Sirius, who had slumped back against the lounge, looking thoughtful, sat up and smiled.

"Mrs. Prongs?" he asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Why do I have to take James' name?"

Sirius shrugged, slumping once more. "Well if you don't want one of your own…"

"Which, you're quite right, she doesn't," Remus supplied helpfully.

"But we're not married, anyway," Lily tried feebly.

"Yet."

Everyone turned to look at Peter, who was smiling knowingly.

Sirius nodded, approvingly. "Right you are, Wormy. And," he added, turning back to the couple, "when you _are _married, I'm going to be the best man."

Lily and James exchanged a look of pure shock, although James' eyes sparkled with amusement.

_Trust the lads to know_, he thought ruefully.

"So ready to send me away, Paddy? I'm surprised," James teased.

"Well, _we_ aren't," Remus replied, indicating himself and Peter, who nodded.

Sirius simply shrugged, his dark eyes looking quite serious. "Nobody's sending anyone away. Besides, Prongs, you'll always be a Marauder. That isn't about to change."

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**A/N****: And so, the time has come when this story must fall to a close… but wait, what's that? An epilogue! One more installment, you say? I say, it's on its way!**

**In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts, especially on what **_**you**_** want to see included in the epilogue! A very important aspect of reading is to _review_ so please remember to do so!**


	21. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:**** All characters, settings and other miscellaneous ideas relating to Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. The plot (however AU book 7 renders it) is mine.**

**A/N:**** This is a series of moments in the years following the end of my story… just a few snapshots into important moments in the lives of these characters. Enjoy! **

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**Epilogue: So when does happily ever after kick in?**

**A Turning Point**_  
27 January 1977_

Sirius loped into the Head's Tower, a strange smile spread across his face. James looked up expectantly from his place on the floor, lazing in front of the roaring fire as he did his Transfiguration homework. "Well?"

Sirius nodded, his face breaking into a grin. "I did it. I spent my dirty Black inheritance and I'm glad to be rid of it."

James nodded, pleased. "So… does this mean no more summers at my house?"

Sirius frowned, reluctant and apologetic. "Mate, I'll always come and visit, you know that. It's just… I can't live off your parents anymore, it doesn't feel right, and I had the means for a place of my _own_, so…."

James nodded again; when there was nothing more one could do, a nod seemed the logical response. "I understand," he said quietly. "It's just that I'll miss you a bit, that's all."

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**A Wedding**_  
4 April 1977_

"You sure you don't want to sit down?" James murmured in her ear.

Lily turned to him, startled, and shook her head vehemently. "No, no. This is Petunia's special day and if she doesn't want me here I… I won't ruin it for her, ok?"

James sighed and went to stand behind Lily, drawing his arms around her and letting her lean back against him.

"Should have bought the invisibility cloak," she murmured offhandedly, watching the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle together.

It was strange, Lily felt, that the great majority of the wedding party seemed to come from Vernon's family. James, on the other hand, was doing all he could to bite his tongue and resist voicing the opinion that with those large pink dresses and the oh-so-many ruffles and ribbons, the bridesmaids (rather plump, as they were) bore a striking and startling resemblance to a string of prize pigs.

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**

One Moment in Chaos_  
2 May 1977_

**

"Lily!"

Lily paused by the double doors of the Great Hall and waited for Emmeline to catch up. The seventh years were spilling out of the castle and onto the lawns, much as they had done in their fifth year after the OWLs exams. The difference would be that this time, Lily (and in all likeliness Emmeline and Benjamin) would inevitably join the Marauders to bask in the late afternoon sun, and celebrate another NEWT exam well and truly over.

"How'd you find it?" Emmeline asked, linking her arm with Lily's as they followed the crowd.

Lily shrugged, shading her eyes as she scanned the grounds for the boys. Predictably, there they were beneath the old beech tree by the lake. "I don't really care, as long as I pass, to be honest," she murmured in reply.

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Well I think I mustered up at least an A, and lets face it, Lily, if you get less than an O in Charms I'll be shocked. "

They made their way across the lawn. Lily shrugged again, just before she reached their destination. Once there, she would sink onto the grass besides James, and he would kiss her lips in greeting, and then they would sit and watch their friends together. Sirius and Emmeline would probably sit as far away from each other as possible, something made exceptionally difficult by Sirius' blossoming friendship with Benjy.

Remus would arrange himself wherever was the most convenient to everyone else, and pull out the textbook for his next exam. Wormtail would sit beside Remus and anxiously try to read over his shoulder, something Remus would inevitably bear with great patience….

Lily turned to Emmeline, raising her voice just loud enough for it to catch the ears of anyone, beneath the tree they were approaching, who was listening. Grinning as she made her casual announcement, she watched the effect of her words on her group of friends.

"Exams aren't the most important thing in the world, Em."

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**

A Coming of Age_  
30 May 1977_

**

"Lupin! Pettigrew! Black!"  
Sirius froze, appalled at being caught so quickly and so stealthily. Resigned, he shared a look of surprise with Remus before the three of them turned around to face-  
"Prongs!"  
James grinned; Sirius sounded quite delighted.  
"I saw you lot sneaking away from the ceremony," the Head Boy told them sternly, thrusting his hands deep into his robes. "And I thought to myself, surely they  
aren't going off mischief making without me?"  
Remus shrugged apologetically. "We didn't think you'd be able to get away, sitting up on the stage, and all."  
James grinned. "Oh, well," he murmured lightly. "Lily said she'd cover for me, but let's make this quick, all right?"  
"Lily said she'd cover for you?" Even Peter sounded impressed.  
"Oh she's a real gem, lads-"  
"And you're madly in love. _We know_. Now can we get a move on?"

The Marauders continued along the corridor, and it wasn't until they'd arrived at the door of Filch's office that James thought to ask, "What exactly are we doing?"  
Remus took it upon himself to explain. "Well, you know how we decided that the Map should probably stay here, for some other mischief maker to pick up?"  
James nodded, grinning. "To preserve the spirit of mischief for future generations, Moony," he corrected.  
Remus shrugged, grinning. "Whatever. Well, we figured last night that Filch's office was probably the safest place."  
James frowned. "And you didn't have time to talk this over with me? I mean – Filch's office! We may as well hand it to him ourselves as a going away present, and watch him burn it."  
James sounded, in short, appalled. Peter hastened to reassure him, but was cut off by Sirius.

"You're missing the point, Prongs," Sirius told him bracingly. "Filch has a drawer, you see…. A drawer of things so dangerous that even he doesn't touch them."  
"And how do you know this?" James demanded skeptically.  
"I remembered last night, from when we rescued the map!"  
"A drawer marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous," Peter confirmed.  
"It's perfect, because the only people who will ever look in there will be up to just as much trouble as we were when _we_ found it!"  
"So we're leaving the highly prized and coveted Marauder's Map in a filing cabinet drawer, right under Filch's nose?" James sounded highly dubious, but Sirius, Remus and Peter all nodded with various stages of enthusiasm.

James sighed, resigned. He supposed that if worst came to worst, they could rescue it themselves. "Fine… lets do this, then, shall we?"

**…**

"So where did you go?" Lily murmured curiously, as James slipped back into his seat beside her on the stage.  
James smiled. "Filch's office, I'll explain later. Where are we up to?"  
Lily looked all at once surprised and intrigued. "Dumbledore's address should be finishing any minute. How-?"  
James shook his head and turned his attention to the Headmaster.

**…**

Half an hour later, James and Lily stood together on the platform, watching as the last of their class spilled out of the Great Hall. It seemed as if some couldn't escape fast enough. Others took their time.

James gripped Lily's hand and smiled at her. "Ready to graduate, Miss Evans?"

Lily shrugged, staring around the Great Hall, misty eyed. "I don't know if I can do this, James…"  
"Of course you can," he told her comfortingly, jumping down from the platform and waiting to catch her. "And I'll be right beside you, every step of the-"

"Oi, you lot!" the other three Marauders waited in the doorway, silhouetted by the late afternoon light. "Get a move on, will you?!"

Lily and James exchanged a smile. "We're coming!"

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**An Offer**_  
19 June 1977_

"Sirius!"

It wasn't at all what Sirius expected to hear, this voice echoing down the crooked lane way. He had been standing there for half an hour, hands stuffed deep into his pockets, dreaming of Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour, only a few hundred yards away, and yet, for some strange reason he had been compelled to wait, and what for what?

Apparently –

It was a child's voice that sounded behind him now. No, not such a child. More that of a boy, one growing into adulthood even as he spoke. It was, Sirius knew instantly, the voice of his brother.  
"Regulus?"  
He would have been what, fifteen now? Sixteen?  
"What do you want, Regulus?"  
Regulus moved closer. His eyes were the same shade as his brother's, but they seemed even now, darker and more menacing.  
"I have been sent," he informed Sirius, head held high, chin jutting out with pride.  
"Sent?" Sirius spat the word out in disbelief. "Merlin, Reg, tell me you haven't…?"  
Regulus smiled coldly. "Not officially, no. I'm too young. But I will, brother."  
"And what has that got to do with me?"  
Regulus sounded surprised. "Everything! Surely you knew this was coming, Sirius? They – _we_ – want you to join us."

"Never."

Regulus raised his eyebrow, looking every inch the cocky teenaged heartbreaker. "Is that wise, Sirius?" he asked softly.  
Sirius shrugged, scuffing the toe of his left shoe on the cobblestones. "Probably not," he remarked softly. "But I never did what was smart, Reg. Not like you. No, I'm going to do what is right."  
Regulus snorted with contempt. "You Gryffindors, always doing the noble thing." He shook his shaggy black hair. "I pity you, brother._Traitor_."  
Sirius smiled, then. A broad, satisfied smile that spread across his face with the ease of someone who was all at once very handsome and confident.  
"Do you really?" he asked mildly. "I don't. I'm quite happy, thank you. At least I can sleep at night, knowing that I'm doing something to stop the cowardly murder of innocent people."

A flicker of surprise betrayed itself across Regulus' face, and Sirius nodded, satisfied.  
"So tell your boss 'no' please. I'm quite satisfied in my choice. It's quite… liberating, to do the right thing. So thank you all the same, but no."  
Regulus' face curled into a snarl. "I'll see you on the battlefield, then, brother," he hissed.  
Sirius blinked, betraying no sign of alarm. In fact, he was still smiling as he shrugged, amiably.  
"If that's the way it has to be."

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**An Auspicious Occasion**_  
5 July 1977_

The Hogs Head sign creaked overhead as three cloaked figures cast a furtive look up and down the empty Hogsmeade street, before letting themselves inside. The bar room itself was alive with music and talk, the summer evening drawing not only regulars but also holidaymakers into the small, country tavern.  
James clutched Lily's hand tighter as Sirius led them towards the bar.

The barman hovered in a dark doorway that lead from behind the bar to what seemed to be a small back room, but he stepped forward into the light to serve his customers with a suspicious expression.  
"And how may I help you young folk tonight?"  
James frowned, slipping his hood back slightly to reveal his face. "_Aberforth?_ Well!" he sounded impressed. "I never thought I'd see you working in here!"  
The old man squinted, then grinned.  
"Why it's the young P- Parkinson lad!" he exclaimed, recalling at the very last minute that yelling _Potter_ out in a bar was not necessarily the most intelligent of ideas. "How are you, son?"  
James grinned. "Very well, thank you."  
"And what would you like? Anything, on the house, for you and your friends!"  
Lily pushed back her hood slightly and leant forward.  
"Actually," she began rather nervously. "We were…. We were wondering if you might light the fire for us? Only, it's awfully cold for summer."

Aberforth frowned, his eyes not betraying even a flicker of surprise. He had been expecting them, then. "Nay, lass, that I can not do. I've had a few complaints that t'is too hot in here already! Tell ye what, you lot can sit in my back room, here. I have a fire going with my dinner, and you can be as warm as you please without disturbing these good folk."  
Aberforth eyed an old man further down the bar, who was eavesdropping intently.  
James pulled his hood further forward once more, and the three of them followed Aberforth into his back room. The older man closed the door, before checking that all the windows were covered and pulling back the hearthrug. Next, he produced his grimy looking wand from his sleeve, and set it to a particular stone in the floor. He tapped the stone.  
Nothing happened for a few moments: but then, the stone began to wiggle, and much in the manner of the wall in Diagon Alley, the flagged-stone flooring quickly made way for a trapdoor.

Aberforth's eyes glinted in the flickering light from his fireplace.  
"Down you go, young folk, and I hope that nothing too dangerous mars your path tonight."  
Sirius led the way, and James sent Lily down next. He paused to shake the old man's hand.  
"I was sorry to hear of your parent's passing," Aberforth said quietly.  
James smiled grimly, touched. "Thank you."

**…**

Sirius, Lily and James emerged at the bottom of the stairs and made their way along a short passageway lit by flickering torches.  
"Bit like the Honeydukes passage," Sirius murmured reminiscently, his smile ghostly.  
James nodded thoughtfully, while Lily looked between the two, confused. "_What_ passage?" she demanded suspiciously.

James said nothing, simply pressing a finger to her lips as they reached yet another doorway. Sirius opened it tentatively to reveal a well-lit chamber. Talk ceased abruptly as the newcomers filed in and waited shyly by the doorway.

Dumbledore's voice emerged from the crowd, and their former headmaster stood, looking pleased.

"Ah, more young people!" he gestured toward Remus and Peter, who sat awkwardly with two red-haired twins, and another young, sandy-haired man, a year or two older than them, that Lily recognized from Hogwarts. Beside him, much to Lily's surprise sat Alice Prewett, her former dorm-mate.

"James Potter, Sirius Black, Lily Evans," Dumbledore introduced them, his eyes twinkling. "Welcome, to the Order of the Phoenix."

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**Brotherhood**_  
17 March 1978_

It was raining. Sirius watched silently as large, round drops of water smattered against the windowpanes of his small flat, and sighed. Across the hall, in James' new apartment, he could hear music, and laughter. A part of him wanted to take his keys, lock up the flat and to join them, there in their happy home. But it was a very small part that urged to do this. The larger part of Sirius' mind knew that he heard the beginnings of their celebration of Lily moving in, and he felt he would just be interrupting. And even though they would have handed him his own glass of wine to celebrate, and that they would have made him welcome, Sirius didn't feel like interrupting.

Something crinkled in Sirius' jacket pocket, and he inserted two fingers suspiciously to withdraw a rumpled piece of paper, a name and phone number scrawled across it in haste. _Sally_.

Perhaps, he had promised to call this Sally. To be honest, Sirius didn't really remember, or care. He wondered if now would be an inappropriate time to make it up to Sally?  
Someone knocked on his door, and Sirius leapt to his feet in his haste for some human company.

It was, much to his surprise, Remus.  
Remus blinked, looking equally as surprised. He was plainly soaked through, and it was clear that Sirius had _not_ been the person he was expecting to answer the door.  
"Sirius! I thought this was James'-?"  
Sirius' heart fell. "Oh," he replied quickly. "No, that's… that one." He pointed to the doorway directly opposite.  
Remus nodded. "Oh," he repeated. "Well, er, sorry to disturb you, I guess…."  
"No!"  
Sirius seemed to be a man grappling with the last vestige of childhood. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked conversationally.  
Remus looked away. "I… er, well, Lily always said that if I needed a place to stay…"

Sirius' eyes widened, and for the first time he noticed the worn suitcase leaning against his friend's leg.  
"Moony," he said quietly, voice low. "Why didn't you come to us for help?"  
Remus shrugged, and a droplet from his hair rolled down his nose.  
"Didn't want to imposition you," he mumbled.  
Sirius rolled his eyes, bent down and seized the suitcase. It was much heavier than he had anticipated, but he hid it well.

"Don't be an idiot. Come and stay with me. I even have a spare room all set up for you. I know… I know you intended for them," he gestured toward Lily and James' door, "but really, you don't want to go in there right now, they're celebrating, and if they share the love anymore I think I'm going to vomit so…. Come stay with me?"

Sirius' eyes expressed what his words could not: 'I'm lonely.'  
Remus seemed to consider it, before shrugging. "I guess you have a point, about the young love and all," he murmured gruffly, and Sirius stood back to let him in.  
Remus paused in the doorway, looking still uncertain.  
"Stay for as long as you want," Sirius prompted him, feeling that this was the answer to his unasked question.

The werewolf gave a small smile. "Thanks."

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**Christmas**_  
25 December 1978_

"We're here!"  
Sirius' voice carried through the doorway of James and Lily's flat moments before the man himself, arms laden with brown paper bags. Lily, her hair drawn back in a messy ponytail, stuck her head out the doorway of the kitchen and waved him in.  
"James is just in the shower, come in!"  
Sirius wove his way through the dining and lounge room, and made it to the entrance to the kitchen before he stopped. Emmeline raised her champagne glass to him in greeting.  
"Merry Christmas!"  
Sirius appeared to falter only for a moment. "Merry Christmas, Em," he murmured, swooping to kiss her on the cheek as he set down his load. "Remus and I are doing the nibblies," he announced. "How's Benjy?"  
Emmeline checked her watch. "He's great, he should be here soon, imagine having to work on Christmas Day! I do hope he remembers the dessert!"  
Lily reappeared in the kitchen, face momentarily sad as she paused to reflect. "These are the times, I suppose," she murmured quietly, referring to the working on Christmas Day.

She was lucky, she knew, that James hadn't been called in too, although she pushed the thought away, setting upon Sirius' bags.  
"Now what do we have here?"  
Sirius grinned and shrugged. "I have no idea. Moony was chatting up the girl in the delicatessen and she suggested all these for – what did she call them?"  
"Canapes," Remus supplied from the doorway, smiling. "Merry Christmas everyone!"

"Did I hear gourmet?" James' voice called down the hallway, preceding it's owner, who soon appeared beside Remus, wearing nothing but a white towel and his glasses. His hair was still damp from the shower, and a droplet of water ran down his forehead.  
"James, go get dressed!" Lily scolded, which was his signal to move forward and wrap his arms around her, nuzzling her neck.  
"Oi, you two, we do plan to eat some of this food you're exposing yourself to at the moment."  
James turned and cocked an eyebrow at Sirius. "Who's exposing anything?"  
Sirius smirked, eyeing James' towel. "No one, yet."  
Lily took charge. "James, go get dressed. Everyone else, out of the kitchen!"

Remus stood aside as Emmeline and Sirius filed past him, an odd expression on the werewolf's face.  
"And how are you doing?" Lily asked him sweetly as she bent to check the oven. "Would you like a drink? That's Em's department – Em! – Get her to find you something?"  
Remus chuckled. "No thanks, Lily, I'm fine."  
"Sirius tells me you're chatting up the delicatessen girl now?" Lily prodded, making Remus grin.  
"Well, she is a pretty little thing, although nothing on some of the girls Sirius has brought home."  
Lily and Remus exchanged a look that clearly and with full contempt, said "_Aurors!"_  
"What about St Mungos?"  
Lily closed the oven door, wiping her hands on her apron as she set to the potatoes. "Mungos is good," she replied absently, looking around her for a clean bowl. "It's such a relief to have almost finished my internship, though. So hopefully soon I can be released on the field with the rest of the Aurors as a Healer, which is much more use that I'm being now, and Oh! Can you see the colander anywhere?"

Remus cast his gaze around the small, crowded kitchen. It rather looked as though an explosion of food had gone off within it. Remus thought with a smile of his own kitchen, mere metres away, that told a very different story. Instead of this unrestrained Christmas chaos, it spoke of a quiet disuse, of the many nights of takeaways and as its use as simple storage for alcohol and precooked meals that indicated a distinctly_bachelor_ flavoured living. The logical thing to do would be to cast a summoning charm, Remus realised, grinning as he recalled the last time James had tried to summon anything from this kitchen. James and Lily had dined with him and Sirius, that night. Perhaps, Remus reflected, a summoning charm wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Sorry, Lily, no colander-"  
"Could you rinse these potatoes, please? And just stick them in that pot, there- I'm sorry Remus, but I don't exactly trust anyone else in this kitchen with our food, Sirius would probably just make it explode and _then_ where would we be-? James!"

**…**

Sirius leant against the doorway of his friend's bedroom and raised his eyebrows. Whether this was a comment on the ornamental pillows scattered across the elegant bedspread, or on James himself, primping in front of the full length mirror, shirt hanging open, Sirius himself was not sure.  
"So have you done it yet?"  
James turned from the mirror, surprised. "Padfoot, so crude!"  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Not _that_, Prongs, and you know exactly what I meant," he replied scathingly.  
James smirked, pulling on his jacket and plunging his hand into the pocket, seizing on a little velvet box and turning it over and over in his fingers. "No, not yet. I'll pick my moment," he replied absently, a half smile lingering on his face.  
Sirius shook his head in disgust. "Look what she's done to you, mate!"

"What have I done?" Lily asked innocently, making Sirius jump.  
Lily strolled past him into the bedroom and faced James, hands on her hips. "Any idea where the colander is?" she asked sweetly.  
James nodded shortly and left the room, a great determination on his face as if nothing were more important.  
Lily and Sirius exchanged looks of surprise.

"Well, you certainly have him well trained," the best friend murmured, shocked.  
Lily quirked her eyebrow at him. "Honestly, I don't. Perhaps, because it's Christmas, he's behaving himself?" she murmured, mostly to herself, wandering back down the hall to the kitchen.  
Sirius remained in the doorway, an ironic smile on his face. Relationships had always seemed like too much effort when all he had to do was come across the hall and watch Lily and James' effortless domesticity. Really, Sirius wondered, when one had instant access to a readily adoptive family, what else did one need?  
A mug of Butterbeer was pressed into his hands, and Sirius snapped out of his thoughts to thank Peter.

"Wormy! When did you get here?"  
Peter smiled. Two years in Muggle Relations had served him well, and he was no longer the smallest Marauder - now a fully-grown man in his own right.  
"Just now," he said, smiling mildly. "And not a moment too soon, I imagine."  
"Dinner's ready!" Lily sung from the kitchen.  
Soon, everyone was clustered around James' large dining table, which looked out of place in the modest flat. Benjy had arrived not long before Peter, and was seated beside Remus, discussing with pride the ins and outs of the professional Quidditch team Emmeline was now managing. Lily, the perfect hostess, saw everyone served before herself, and when she finally slid into her place beside James, she did so with great relief.

"I propose a toast," Emmeline announced, throwing her hair back from her shoulders with a toss of her head, and grinning, eyes sparkling with life.  
Sirius swallowed, hard.  
"Let us all raise our glasses to all the witches and wizards who are working away from their families today," Emmeline began. "To those who are bringing light to these darkening days."  
"And to Lily and James for serving up an excellent meal for all us ungrateful souls," Sirius joked.  
"To happiness," Remus added quietly, "And friendship, and to love."  
"To happiness, friendship, love and hope," Peter finished with great solemnity.

"To happiness, friendship, love and hope," everyone echoed, clinking their glasses before they drained them.

Sirius, seated on James' other side, nudged him and winked. James felt the elbow connect with the little velvet box in his jacket pocket, and grinned. _Plenty of time for that later._  
Lily saw the sparkle in her boyfriend's eyes, and felt compelled to smile too. It was a telling sparkle – he was up to something, most certainly – but Lily didn't particularly mind. He would let her in on the joke, sooner or later, as he always did.

She just hoped he wasn't up to too much mischief.  
Although, as Sirius had once scolded her, many years ago –  
_Nonsense, Lily, you can never cause enough mischief._

**The End **

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**A/N:**** So, everyone, this is it. Thanks for joining me in this epic ride! **

**I am going to make a final request (for this story, at least) that you leave me a _review_ at the end of reading it. Reviews really mean the world to authors – why else do we post, if not for feedback? So if you've taken the time to read this, please spare a moment longer to leave me a lovely review! (I am finding it especially perplexing that some of you will take the time to favourite this, but not to say hello?)**

**Thanks everyone for reading, I hope you've enjoyed it, and right now I shall take the opportunity to shamelessly promote my other stories – go have a look at them, I think that if you enjoyed this, you'll enjoy the others. And on that final note…. On the 7/07/07 (a very special day in itself)…. Peace out! **

**Lexie**

**UPDATE: Also - if you're at all interested in how the story continues, there's now a sequel in progress: _I Solemnly Swear_ picks up right from where we left off, and will continue with the Marauders, Lily, Em and Benjy into the ever-darkening magical world as it nears the turn of the decade. As of now, Chapter One is posted, and Chapter Two should be out shortly. Go have a look!  
**


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